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THE JOURNAL 

OP ' 



V 



CLAUDE BLANCHARD, 

COMMISSARY OF THE FRENCH AUXILIARY ARMY SENT 

TO THE UNITED STATES DURING THE 

AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

1 7 8 -- 1 7 8 3 . 
^ranslatetr from a #renci) i^anuscript, 

BY WILLIAM DUAJS^E, 

AND 

EDITED BY THOMAS BALCII. 




ALBANY, J. MUNSELL, 

1876. 



r 



W \vu Va/ / 



Entered According to Act ot Congress in tliu year 187(j, 

By Thomas Balch, 

In the otHco of the Librarian of Congress 






X 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Preparations for departure — Composition of the Squadron 
Conveying the Au.mliary Corps — Departure from Brest — 
Voyage — Engagement vnth an English Squadron at the 
Bermuda Islands — Considerable JSfumher of Deaths and of 
Sick Persons on Board — Another 3Ieeting, withovt an En- 
gagement, with a Squadron of the Euemy near the (7iesa- 
peake Bay — Arrival at Rhode Islan d and Landing, 1 

CHAPTER H. 

Landing at Rhode Island— Threatened Attach of an English 
Fleet — Estahlishment of the Hospitals — M. Blanchard is 
sent to Boston — Rhode Island is placed in a State of De- 
fense — Composition of the Army — First Intercourse of the 
French Generals loith' General Washington — Residence at 
Providence — Its Environs — 3Iarkets for the Army — 
Winter Quarters of the French Forces, 41 

CHAPTER HI. 

Arrival of General Washington at Newport — Embarkation of 
a Body of Troops on board of the Squadron — 31 Blanch- 
ard is^icith it — uVavcd Engagement in Chesapeake Bay — 
The Army begins its 3Iarch to form a Junction with 
the Americans — 31. Blanchard ^yrecedes it — He passes 
through Providence, Waterman- T'avern, Plainfield, Wind- 
ham, Bolton, Hartford, Farmingt on, Baron-Tavern, Break- 
neck, JVetvtown, and Peeksk ill-Landing — Sojourn at General 
Washington's Camp at Peekskill ^ 3Iarch of the Two 



IV 

Armies against JS^eio YorJc — Camps of N'orthcastle and 
Phillipsburg — Character of General de liochamheau — Th9 
iSguadron of 31. de Grasse is announced — T/ie two Armies 
move to siqiport it, 92 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Allied Armies cross the JVorth river aiul march toicards 
the Chesapeake Bay — M. Bla)i chard rejoins them shortly 
aftericards — He passesthrouyh AMilppany, Somerset, Prince- 
ton and Bedlines' — Stops at Philadelphia and goes throngh 
Chester, Wilmington, Prandywine, Christian Bridge and 
Head of Elk, vhere he rejoins the Army — He Emharhs icith 
a Detachment to Effect a Junction with the Troojts hrought 
hy M. de Grasse'' s Squadron, which had arrired in the bay, 129 

[In the original, the Table of Contents is continued no farther.] 

Blanchard reaches M. de Grasse'' s Fleet and proceeds up the 
James River to join the Forces binder La Fayette at Williams- 
Intrg — Diffculty of pjrociiring Supplies, especicdly for the 
Sick — The Troiches are opened against Yorktoton — He avy 
Firing on both Sides — Two of the English Redoubts are 
captured, one by the F'rench and tlie other by the Ameri- 
cans — The English surrender — The French Troopjs go into 
Winter Quarters in November — In June, 1782, they march 
to the Northward and having p)assed through Ale.randria, 
Baltimore, Philadelphia and Trenton, they reach their Old 
Camping Ground, on the North River, where they rest for 
a month and afterwards march to Boston — On, the Way, 
Gen. Rocliamheau is Arrested for Tresjyass — In December, 
1782, Blanchard proceeds to the West Ii dies on Board of 
the Trio/i/j>hant ; Visits Porto Cabello and Port an 
Prince — He returns to France, reaching Brest on the 2d 
of July, 1783, and jyroceeds to Echarbot, wliere he meets tcith 
his Family, after an Absence of more than three Year's, 140 

Index, 202 



EDITOR^S PREFACE 



During a sojourn of some years in Europe I occupied 
myself in collecting books, engravings or other materials 
for a contribution to American and French history, the 
subject of which did not seem to me to have been tho- 
roughly studied or fairly narrated. It was intended that 
the work should be a careful history of the part taken by 
the French in the American war for independence. The 
first part of the work, giving a history of the expeditionary 
corps under Rocharabeau, from its embarkation to its re- 
turn, with a full narrative of the military operations in 
which it was engaged, was published in Paris in 1872 ^ The 
second part, containing notices of the regiments and fleets, 
and of the officers who served in our cause, whether as volun- 
teers, or under the orders of the French government, is 
now ready and will sliortly appear in that city. 

Most of the sources from which I derived the materials 
for these volumes were manuscripts, several of which are 



' Paris, A. Sauton ; Philadelpliia, J. B. Lippincott. 



VI 

enumerated in an opening chapter of the part already pub- 
ished. ^ One of these is presented in the following pages, 
to the students of American history. As we learn from 
Mr. Blanchard's own preface, it is truly a Journal in 
which were noted down almost daily such military, social 
or political incidents as seemed to him of sufficient import- 
ance to be recorded for the instruction of his children, or 
for his own reminiscences in later life. 

This manuscript came into nw hands tlirough the kind- 
ness of its possessor, Mr. Maurice La Chesnais, the great 
grandson of its author. To him I am also indebted for the 
information which enables me to give a notice of Mr. 
Blanchard. 

Chiude Blanchard, a descendant of one of the noble 
French families, was born at Angers the 16 May, 1742. 
In 1762 he entered the ministry of war " under the orders 
of one of his relatives," Mr. Dubois, the chief of the 
bureaux in the War Department, who also held other 
responsible positions. In 1768 Blanchard was named war- 
commissary, and remained in Corsica for ten years with 
this rank. He was promoted for his services, and in 1780 
was sent as commissary-in-chief with General Rochambeau 



' Les Fraii<;.<meii Am'^riqtie, pp. 6 - 17. 



Vll 

to America. In his Journal we have incidentally an account 
of the duties of his office. In 1788 he was sent to Arras, 
where he was called upon to act as commander of the 
N"ational Guard, and was soon sent to the legislative 
assembly as its representative together with Carnot, then 
wholly obscure though since so well known for the part 
which he subsequently played in the unhappy drama of 
the French revolution. In the assembly Mr. Blanchard 
exercised his functions unobtrusively but discreetly and so 
far gained the favorable consideration of his fellow-legis- 
lators, that he was the most frequent chairman of military 
committees, making the reports on these questions, an 
honor which was shared between him, General Lacuee and 
Mathieu Dumas. He was deprived of his position as 
commissary by the committee of public safety, but later, 
after their ftill, he became chief commissary to the army 
of the SambreandMeuse, then to tlie army of the Interior, 
and lastly to the Hotel des Invalides, where he died in 
1802, leaving to his family " an honorable name, and the 
reputation of remarkable virtues and talents." Such 
at least was the lang-uao-e in which General Berang-er an- 
nounced his death. The first consul, on hearing of his 
decease, expressed his regrets in warm and feeling terms.^ 



^Bevue Militaire FraiiQaise. 1869. p. 373. 



Vlll 



Many matters of interest will be found in the following 
pages concerning the organization and discipline of both 
branches of the French service. The bad food, the filthy, 
black water, the ravages of the scurv}-, the frequent deaths, 
testify to the character of the one ; the insubordination of 
the officers, the duels, often fatal : " a man-slayer," says 
Blanchard, " but it was my fate to meet them every- 
where ;" do not present an attractive picture of the other. 
It may be inferred that Custine's violence was the sole act 
of the kind which occurred, and let us hope that insolent 
as de Marign^-'s answer was, yet that it was not bj' his hand 
de Ternay lost his life, but that the unhappy commander 
died of fever, as Mr. Blanchard was'informed he did.^ 

Interesting as Mr. Blanchard's Journal is, it gives but 
few military details. The Journal of Count de Menon- 
ville is, on the other hand, full and minute in this respect. 
So is the N^arrative of the Baron du Bourg, who also re- 
counts the incidents which passed in the " military family " 
of de Rochambeau. Du Petit Thouars tells the story of the 
campaigns of d'Estaing and de Grasse. Prince de Broglie's 
Relation (of which I have the translation ready for the 



' In some of the other manuscripts the brigliter side of the French cliaracter 
is agreeably depicted. 



IX 

press), gives sprightly and entertaining pictures of society 
in Philadelphia, I>[ewport and Boston. ^ The Comte de 
Pontgibaud describes his adventures whilst aid-de-carap 
to La Fayette, and those with which he met later when he 
and others came to America to escape the guillotine. 
This collection of manuscripts, together with extracts of 
documents which I found in the archives of the French war 
and navy departments, form a full and circumstantial his- 
tory of the French military and naval operations in 
America whilst they were acting as our allies. 

I have added a few notes to the Journal, and at first pur- 
posed giving a historical sketch of the various regiments 
and biographical notices of the officers taken from the manu- 
script of a volume, as yet unpublished, which I have pre- 
pared partly from the French archives, partly from other 
and diversified sources of information. But it was feared 
that such a mass of notes would make the book rather 
heavy, and they were laid aside. Much and interesting 
information concerning the regiments can be found in the 
excellent works of Gen. Suzanne.^ 



' I would be much pleased to obtain a copy of the Verses in French 
addressed by Mrs. Tudor to Marie Antoinette, of wliich the Prince de Brog- 
lie makes mention, but which my researches have thus far failed to discover 

' Histoire, de V Ancienne Infarderie Fran^aise, par le General Suzanne, 
Paris, 1853, 8 vols, with atlas. La Citvalerie Fran(;aise, 2 vols., Paris, 1874 
B 



The choice of de Rochambeaii as the commander of the 
auxiliary armj'-corps was due to the wise and unselfish 
counsels of La Fayette, and it was fortunate for the cause 
of the Americans that so skillful a stategist was selected. 
The well known compliment addressed to him by Napoleon 
was fully deserved, and the part which he took in the cam- 
paign which terminated our war is a proof of its justice. 
The appointment of de Ternay was probably due to 
similar influences. But the fidelity with which that con- 
scientious officer executed his orders led to unhappy results 
for him. He sacrificed everytiiingto the successful convoy 
and landing of the troops. Twice during the voyage he 
refused to deliver battle with English squadrons when, as 
subsequent events showed, he would certainly have been 
victorious. The reproaches of his captains were bitter. 
The stings of his own wounded pride were unbearable. 
They produced and aggravated a fever which ended his 
life. But the king recognized his meritorious self-abne- 
gation, and ordered a monument to be erected to his me- 
mory, bearing an inscription fairly and honorably earned 
by him who slept beneath the stone. ^ Republican grati- 



' The original inscription in Latin and a translation into English, the 
particulars of de Ternay's death, the funeral cenanouies, and the lacts con- 
nected with the restoration of the monument, are narrated in an eloquent 



XI 

tude allowed it to fall into decay ; but fortunately, in 
1873, the Marquis de Noailles, then French envoy at 
Washington, visited Newport, and with the permission of 
his government, and at its expense, had the monument re- 
constructed. On the motion of Senator Anthony a bill 
was passed to repay these expenses, but the French go- 
vernment declined the offer. The sum voted was there- 
upon converted by congress into a fund for the future 
preservation of the monument, and thus, though tardily, 
has been secured the tribute due to the memory of one of 
the many gallant Frenchmen who sacrificed their lives to 
secure the independence of America. 

Some glimpses also of American society appear in the 
Journal : the impression produced by General Wash- 
ington's appearance and manners. General Varnum's con- 
versation in Latin, the hospitality of Lady Washington 
and of Mrs. Greene, the beauty of Mrs. Temple and other 
ladies, Madeira and toasts, the schools, the churches, the 
psalm-singing, the ragged and unshod soldiers, the taste 
for porcelain, the men spending whole days by their fire- 



speech by Senator Anthony on introducing a bill, Dec. 16, 1873, to pay the 
expenses of reconstructing the monument to the Chevalier de Ternay. Me- 
mortal Addresses delivered in the United States senate by Henry B. An- 
thony. Providence, 1875. 



Xll 



sides and wives ; these, and many similar incidents, give us 
quite an insiglit into the American life of that day, as it 
presented itself to the eyes of a French gentleman, rather 
ceremonious in his manners and rigid in his principles. 
He more than once mentions the be'anty of the females, 
more often their innocence and simplicity. Their descend- 
ants have reason to be proud of them. In all the manuscripts 
which I have in hand, written by these European soldiers 
of divers temperaments and characters, a profound, almost 
reverential, testimony is borne to the graceful manners, 
the native dignity, the unsullied conduct, the moral purity 
of the American women. 



Mr. Blanchard prepared a preface to his manuscript, of 
which a translation, due likewise to the pen of Mr. Duane, 
who has so admirably '' rendered into English" the Jour- 
nal itself, is herewith given. 



PREFACE. 



I was employed for three years, as chief commissary, 
with the troops which M. de Rochambeau led to the 
assistance of the Americans. During all that war, I wrote 
down, almost everyday, the events which I witnessed, and 
those which concerned myself. This journal is not in 
very good order, and now that I have some leisure (Mes- 
sidor of the year II of the French republic), I am about 
to make a fair copy of it, without changing anything in 
the style and form. If I should make any new reflections, 
I will say so, though this information is c^uite useless, for 
positively I am writing only for myself and with tlie view 
of turning my leisure to some account. 

Before commencing this journal, I ought to give an idea 
of the United States of America ; besides, I find this notice 
in my journal, and I wrote it at the time of the departure 
of the expedition. 

The country comjtrised in the United States of America 
extends along the eastern coast of North America, from 
latitude 46° to 30°, that is, for about three hundred and 
ten leagues ; but it has not an equal breadth, for in many 



XIV 

places it does not extend more than sixty leagues ; and 
the population of this country is not in proportion to its 
size. The inhabitants are reckoned to be about three 
millions. The provinces, beginning with those to the 
north, are N"ew Hampshire, Massachusetts, wherein is 
Boston, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsyl- 
vania, wherein is Philadelphia, the seat of the congress, 
Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, N"orth Carolina, South 
Carolina, and Georgia, wherein is Savannah.^ 

There are several islands forming parts of some of these 
provinces, such as Long Island. The troops of the English 
royalists are chiefly stationed in ISTew York; they also 
have many places in Carolina, some troops in Georgia and 
especially at Savannah. [This was written in the early 
part of 1780.] 

To the northward and westward of the tliirteen provinces 
is Canada, which belonged to France, and which she ceded 
to England by the last treaty of peace, that of 1762. South 
of the thirteen provinces is Florida, also ceded to England 
by Spain, which France indemnified by giving to her her 
possessions upon the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. 

Besides these possessions of the English, which form a 
bow around the thirteen states, of which Clinton's army 
in New Jersey resembles the end of the arrow, there are 
also some savage nations which sometimes attack and 



' The writer omits New Jersey. 



XV 

plunder the subjects of the United States. Let us now con- 
sider these states. Each of the thirteen provinces has its 
own council, its own militia, and its own laws; each sends 
a deputy to the general assembly, otherwise known as the 
congress, which is held at Philadelphia. Over this congress, 
a deputy from one of the provinces presides in turn. 

It is the congress that directs the operations of the nation 
which makes alliances, receives the envoys of sovereigns, 
appoints envoysto them, corresponds with the generals, and 
makes the laws. 

It seems that each deputy brings to the congress the 
vote of his province, and that the decisions of the congress 
are then sent to the provinces. 

How much soever the subjects of this newborn republic 
may be attached to their government, they cannot conceal 
from themselves that there are many of those who are 
called tories or royalists, who, either from fear or affec- 
tion, have an attachment for the government of England. 

A very large part of the money is of paper, and, unfor- 
tunately, it is very much discredited. 

Such are the inconveniences, but they vanish when we 
remember that, notwithstanding all obstacles, the power 
of England has been baffled in America by the love of 
country and of liberty, which has hitherto animated the 
Anglo-Americans, that many English generals have been 
successively defeated there, that Burgoyne has shamefully 



XVI 

passed under the yoke, and that there, more than anywhere 
else, Voltaire's verses have had their eflect, Injustice has 
finally produced Independence. 

Philadelphia was taken by General Howe, who was 
obliged to abandon it, although supported by his brother, 
Admiral Howe. 

To be well acquainted with this country, we must study 
the maps, endeavor to know the great rivers, the position 
of the cities upon the banks of these rivers, from the point 
to wliich they are navigable and as far as vessels can ascend. 

It would be well to write down all these observations 
and to begin by an epitome of the revolution ; and then 
to proceed to other observations upon the general admin- 
istration, that of each province in particular, the laws, the 
courts, the police, the military forces, the productions, the 
commerce, etc.; to become well acquainted with the 
position of the armies, in order to omit nothing that can 
furnish correct ideas respecting the country and this inte- 
resting people. 

It should be remembered that great prudence is required 
in America, when it is necessary to have intercourse with 
its inhabitants. Especially, should we avoid exhibiting 
any air of contempt ; the people are poor and exhausted 
by the efforts which they have made to defend their liberty. 
The French come to assist them, they ought not to display 
the pride of protection. 



JOURNAL. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE VOYAGE. 



Preparations for departure — Composition of the Squadron con- 
veying the auxiliar)/ Forces — Departure from Brest — Voy- 
age — Engagement loith an English Squadron at the Bernmda. 
Islands — Considerahle monher of Deaths and of sick Dersojis 
on Board — Another Meeting^ 'mthont an Engagement, toith a 
Squadron of the Enemy near the Chesapeake Bay — Arrival 
at Rhode Island and Landing. 

The Count De Rochambeau, lieutenant general of 
the army, having been appointed to command a body 
of troops, intended to be embarked, without anyone's 
knowing positively whither t\\Qy were to proceed, 
caused me to be employed to serve with these troops 
as commissary. In consequence, I proceeded to Brest 
on the 20th of March, 1780. 

M. de Tarle, directing commissary, discharging the 
functions of intendant to this body of troops, did not 
arrive there until eight or ten days afterwards ; he 
brought me a commission as chief commissary. Find- 
ing myself alone at Brest, I worked with the generals 
of the land and sea forces in embarking all the goods 
1 



and supplies needed for the troops after their landing. 
The navy, being unable to furnish a sufficient number 
of transports, they were obliged to leave in France the 
regiments of Neustrie and Anhalt, which were, origi- 
nally, intended to be embarked, as also two or three 
hundred men of Lauzun's legion. Onlj^five thousand 
men were embarked, namely, the regiments of Bour- 
bonnais, Soissonnais, Saintonge, Royal Deux-Ponts, 
about five hundred artillerists and six hundred men of 
Lauzun's les;ion, three hundred of whom were intended 
to form a troop of horse ; these troops, their effects, 
the artillery and other objects necessary for an army, 
were embarked in from twenty-five to thirty transports 
or store-ships ; they were escorted hy seven ships of 
war and two frigates, namely : 

SJdjys. Gvns. Commanders. 

The Duke of Burgundy, The Chevalier de Ternay, 

doubly sheathed with chief of the squadron, 

copper,^ 80 
The ISTeptune, doubly 

sheathed with copper, 74 Destouches, 

The Conqueraiit, 74 La Grandiere, 

The Provence, 64 Lombard, 



' Vessels of this class were rare at that day, and were noted 
for rapid sailing. The admiral hoisted his flag on board of 
this ship, and General Rochambeau was a passenger, with some 
of his staff. 



Ships. Guns. Commanders. 

The Eveille, doubly sheathed 

with copper, 64 de Tilly, 

The Jazon, 64 de Clochetterie, 

The Ardent, 64 The Chevalier de Ma- 

rigny. 
Frigates. 

The Surveillante, Sillart, 

The Amazone, La Perouse,^ 

The Guepe, a cutter, The Chevalier de Mau^eirtx.^^ 

a^ S/cnuL J/u-/^ . 

The Fantasque, an old vessel, was ai'mod on f/utc 
and was intended to serve as a hospital ; the treasure, 
the heavy artillery and many passengers were em- 
barked upon it. 

All the general officers lay on board on the 14tli of 
April. I was there also and embarked upon the Con- 
querant. On the first night I lay in the gun room 
with thirty or forty persons. The next day they pre- 
pared a little lodging place for me in the great cabin ; 
that is where they eat. I lay there in a hammock, 
in the English fashion, over a cannon. I can write 
there, sitting on a portmanteau, and I have light 
through a port-hole. 

The convoy started and anchored at Bertheaunie, 
which is likewise in the roadstead, but three leagues 

1 The celebrated navigator. 



from Brest. On the 16 th we were unmoored and 
ready to-follow ; but the wind having changed to the 
west, we could not raise the anchors : these west 
winds, which were contrary to us, also lasted for some 
days. I availed myself of it to go frequently on shore 
to finish some business which I had been compelled to 
leave unfinished. Altogether, I was not useless at 
this embarkation, owing to my activity and concilia- 
tory disposition. At last, on the 2d of May, the wind 
changed to the north and we started immmediately. 
We passed, as did all the convoy, between the Island 
of the Saints and the Beak of Ratz ; this passage is 
narrow and even dangerous, it is said, but, I believe, 
not so for good sailors ; we went through without ac- 
cident. This route took us away from the entrance 
of the channel and from every undesirable meeting;^ 
we made about twenty leagues that day. We would 
have made more if the convoy had not obliged us to 
bring to two or three times : we could not lose sight 
of them, which often compelled us to wait. The next 
day, the 3d, we continued our course, by the help of 
the same north wind, but it was light ; we had almost 
a dead calm at noon and were only thirty-two leagues 
from Brest. One of the frio-ates chased two small ves- 



' The Englisli fleet under Graves was watching for them. 



sels. The ships of war and the transports proceeded 
in order ; on the 4th, we met a Danish ship coming 
from Naples and going to Hamburg ; we obliged it to 
follow us for twenty-four hours. We continued to 
sail in this manner in the Gulf of Gascony until the 
9th, on which day the wind became directly contrary, 
it came from the west ; we might then be thirty 
leagues from Cape Ortegal. At four o'clock in the 
afternoon the wind became violent, it was a real 
tempest ; we were at the Cape and we remained there 
during the whole of the 10th. It is a very painful 
situation for persons who suffer from sea-sickness. I 
suffered then, and greatly, although I had already 
sailed upon the Mediterranean, going to and returning 
from Corsica, a voyage which I have often made. I 
remained in bed during the whole of the lOtli and did 
not recover until the 14th. On this day the wind 
grew calm and we left the gulf fifteen leagues to the 
north west of Cape Finisterre. One of our ships, the 
Provence, lost her fore top owing to this bad weather ; 
the captain wished to leave the squadron, but some 
carpenters were sent on board of her and the damage 
was quickly repaired. On the 15th, Mons. de Ternay 
sent back a frigate which did not form a part of our 
squadron ; she was to carry news of us and to put into 
port in Spain. I was informed of it late, yet I hastily 



wrote a word to my wife and to Mons. Coussard. 
This day and the next, the wind was north and pretty 
fresh; we made seven knots an hour, which makes 
two leagues and a third ; yet we had only one or two 
sails hoisted, on account of the convoy, which would 
not have been able to follow us, and among which 
there were some laggards. Thus, we lay by every day 
to give them time to rally. I was now wonderfully 
well and I profited by it to write the preceding details. 
Hereafter, I have written every day as will be seen. 

May l^th. The winds continue northwardly, and 
although they are not so strong as on the 16th and 
17th (on those days we made forty-six leagues^ in 
twenty-four hours) we could not be anything else than 
very well satisfied with the progress which we are 
making. We were then in the latitude of Cape Vin- 
cent, at the distance of about a hundred leagues. 
Whilst the weather is fine, I am about to write some 
details respecting the vessel in which I am embarked. 
At our departure it drew 22 feet of water at the bow, 
and 19 at the stern ; height of the main mast 104 
feet; main yard, 95 ; foresail mast 95 feet; mizzen 
mast, 74 ; bowsprit, 62. Here are tne names of the 
naval and military officers, with whom I am embarked. 



1 Marine leagues. 



La Grandiere, captain, 

Chirfontaine, ditto, second in command, 

Nupuy, first lieutenant. 

Blessing, ditto (a Swedish officer). 

Ensigns. La Jonquieres, Kergu, Maccartlij, Duparc 
de Bellegarde, Buissj. 

Naval Guards. Li vet, Legritz, Lourmel. 

Auxiliary Officers. Cordier, Deshayes, Marassin, Gu- 
zence ; we left one of them, M. Gautier, sick at Brest. 

We also had the captain's son, but he was not yet a 
marine officer. 

Officers of Infantry, a detachment upon the vessel, 
drawn from the regiment of La Sarre ; Laubanie, 
captain ; La Mothe, lieutenant ; Loyas, sub-lieutenant. 

Passengers. The Baron de Yiomenil, major general ; 
Count de Custine, brigadier and colonel of the regiment 
of Saintonge. 

The Grenadier company of the said regiment, of 
which these were the officers : De Vouves, captain ; 
De James, ditto, in the second class; Champetier, 
lieutenant ; Josselin, lieutenant in the second class ; 
Denis, sub-lieutenant; Fanit, second sub-lieutenant. 

Menonville, lieutenant colonel, attached to the staff 
of the army. 

De Chabannes and De Pange, aides de camp of M. 
de Yiomenil. 



8 



Brizoii, a cavalry officer, discharging the functions 
of secretary to the said general. 

We also had a surgeon and a chaplain, making part 
of the staff of the vessel. Including the domestics and 
the passengers, there are 960 persons on board, with 
provisions for six months. Up to this day, the 19th, 
there are no sick on board except several sailors, al- 
ready attacked by the scurvy at the time of our de- 
parture from Brest. However, we have lost an old 
sailor. 

On the 20th, we had the same wind ; to-day a man 
died on board. I remark that we ought not to be 
surprised that the winds were always from the north 
or north east. These winds are constant in these 
parts and are what are called the trade winds. Ad- 
vantage is taken of them to go to St. Domingo ; 
another route is followed, for returning. 

On the 21st, the same wind, and pretty strong ; we 
made 25 leagues in 24 hours. At noon, on the said 
day, we being in 35° 19' of latitude, and 20° 19' of 
longitude, I ascended to the mizzen-top. I was not 
lashed there, as is usually done ; I gave six livres to 
the top-men ; the first sailors are thus called, those 
who commonly remain in the tops. To ascend the 
tops whilst under sail, at about forty years of age, 
when one is not accustomed to it, is not bad. 



9 

On the same day the admiral having signaled to go 
on board to receive some orders, I accompanied the 
officer who was sent. M. de Tarl6, our commissary, 
who had embarked thereon, confirmed me in the be- 
lief that we were going to New England and that we 
would land at Rhode Island. I had always thought 
that such was our destination, inasmuch as we had 
embarked goods suitable for the savages, and which zT 
must be given to them in the intercourse that we might 
have vfith them. They dwell on the frontiers, as is 
known. I also learnt that a vessel which they had 
met some days before had mentioned that a Spanish 
heet had set out on the 20th of April from Cadiz, but 
that its destination was unknown. 

On the 22d, the same wind, north and north east. 
We were on the o4th degree of latitude, forty leagues 
from Madeira, the weather was pretty cloudy this day 
and, in general, it has always been so since we left 
Cape Finisterre 5 we do not experience great heat. 
This cloudy weather caused me violent head-aches, 
especially at night, but I experience the same on land. 
Otherwise, my health was good. 

My servant, Bourdais, has been sick for some days 
with a violent cold and an intermittent fever. 

At this period, our real destination was unknown 
on board, and many persons supposed that we were 
2 



10 

going to Jamaica. They believed it the rather be- 
cause, for reasons which I shall explain hereafter, we 
bore much towards the south, and were following 
the route which is taken to go to Jamaica or Saint 
Domingo. 

The 25th, Corpus Christi day. The latitude, 35°. 
We continued to make from 25 to 30 leagues a day, 
the convoy preventing our doing more : every day we 
lay to. 

The Me of France, a store-ship, or, at least, a large 
transport ship, which had a part of the regiment of 
Bourbonnais on board, and wherein my brother-in-law 
was the Chevalier de Coriolis, a lieutenant in this regi- 
ment, had taken in tow the Baron d' Arras, another 
transport ship. On the same day, a vessel armed as 
a man of war and laden with merchandise, called the 
Lutin, which had followed us up to this day, left us 
to proceed to Cayenne. 

I remark that on the 24th the admiral had slightly 
altered his course and borne more towards the west ; 
nevertheless the reasoners considered that we were 
still going too far towards the south. 

For some days past we have seen in the wake of 
the vessel, a great number of fishes which they said 
were bormites ; the crew took one of them weighing 
four pounds ; this fish tastes like the tunny-fish, but 



11 

it seemed to me not so good and drier. In the Medi- 
terranean they are called polomine. 

Sunday the 27th at noon we were in latitude 29° 
55' and had made 30 leagues in our 24 hours. Our 
politicians are still in a state of uncertainty, seeing us 
go so much to the south, and there are some who pre- 
tend that we are going to Porto Rico to take some 
Spaniards. Notwithstanding all my presumptions for 
believing that we were going to North America, I 
myself will soon no longer know what to think of it. 

On the 28th, at noon, the admiral signaled the point 
of the compass and to bear towards the west ; then 
all doubts were dispelled, and we saw plainly that we 
were going to New England. I made a bet, this day, 
that we would see the coast on the 26th of June, and 
persisted in asserting that we would land upon Rhode 
Island. 

We were in the latitude of 28° and as high up as 
the Azores at the moment when the point of the com- 
pass was signaled. 

It appears that this route, so much to the south, 
had been directed by the court in order to avoid the 
English : it is the same which M. d'Estaing followed 
in 1778, and which we verified by the diary of M. de 
Bellegarde, an ensign on board of our vessel, who had 
been in M. d'Estaing's squadron. We bore towards 



12 

the west, exactly in the same latitude as he. Some 
sailors pretend that the northern route is preferable ; 
it is much shorter ; yet Admiral Byron, who followed 
it when he was running after M. d'Estaing, was greatly 
delayed therein and arrived after the French admiral. 
After all, this route enabled us to avoid the English, 
whom we must especially avoid on account of the 
convoy. 

The 29th. According to the pilot's report, we have 
made 36 leagues, and it seems that we continue to go 
along well ; for the wind is fresh and directly from 
the east, which gives us a wind in our stern, as we 
proceed westwardly. We have few sick persons ; my 
servant is better. As to myself, at the moment when 
I am writing, I am perfectly well and without any 
indisposition, not the least head ache; I cannot say 
as much concerning the preceding days, having been 
tormented by it almost continually. Without doubt 
these head aches proceed from the stomach, owing to 
the bad food on board.^ Tea has been very beneficial 



1 Let me be pardoned for recurring so often to mj^ health ; it 
proves that when one is on board shi}), he has little diversion 
and concerns himself much about himself. I ought also to say 
that I had scarcely recovered from illness when I went to sea. 
This sickness, which I had neglected, I had contracted at Mor- 
tain, whither 1 Avas called, during the autumn of 1779, to put in 
order the hospitals of that city, crow^ded with 2000 patients, 



13 

to me in these head aches, especially if a little citron 
was put therein. I write these details for my children 
and friends, who may be obliged to go to sea. At sea, 
if one suffers, he is disgusted, disheartened and curses 
the sea, but these moments pass away and one loves 
it. I perceived that I should become accustomed to 
it and that this service would even have been attract- 
ive to me. Whilst I am writing, I feel happy ; it is 
true that we have reason to be satisfied with all the 
officers, excepting the captain, who is ill-humored, de- 
vout, illiberal, selfish, communing every Sunday, 
without being more humane towards the sailors and 
the sick, in short announcing a Molinist religion. 
On the 31st,^ we discovered at noon that we had 



in'oceeding from the squadron of M. Voirilliers, which had re- 
turned to Brest a short time before. These patients, attacked 
by dysentery and putrid fever were massed in five hospitals, 
hastily established ; T there lost a large part of the nurses and 
many surgeons and aiH)thecaries. The only tM'o physicians who 
were charged with the care of these five hosi^itals, contracted 
serious diseases there, of which they nearly died. As I did not 
spare myself on this occasion, I suffered from this i)estilence for 
a long time, the rather as I took no j^reventive. I may say that 
the labors which I then underwent were not ignored, and that 
I procured myself some honor. [An interesting note and a sad 
picture of the old French military administration, and Avhicb 
does not seem to have improved in these latter days.] 

' I do not find any remark upon the 30th, and 1 suspect that 
some mistake as to the date has crept into my journal since the 
26th and 2'7th when 1 Avas sick ; there is also a date erased. 



14 



made 41 leagues ; I observe that it is always at noon 
that the pilot marks the point where we are upon the 
chart, and that he gives the longitude and the latitude 
to the captain of the vessel, since it is at noon that he 
ascertains the last and takes the altitude ; it is at 
noon also that a report is made of the progress that 
has been made since noon on the day before : there- 
fore when I say that we have gone 20 or 30 leagues it 
is always since noon on the preceding day. 

June. This day, the first of June, we saw much sea- 
weed [goemon] ; we began to see it at the 30th degree 
of latitude, and this continues as far as the tropics. 
The grape of the tropics is also called goemon. 

The goemon is a grass which is detached from the 
submarine rocks and from the Canary islands; it has 
small grains shaped like grapes ; the sea is entirely 
covered with it. 

On the 2d, we sent on board the admiral's ship : 
there it was openly said that we were about to land at 
Newport in the island of Rhode Island. At noon, I 
desired to take the altitude myself. I was struck by 
seeing the sun directly over our heads ; I had not paid 
attention to it up to that moment. 

On the 3d, the wind being light, we made only 18 
leagues. This day, the captains of the ships of the 
line were ordered to go on board of the admiral's ship, 



15 

who probably gave them some instructions concerning 
making land. 

On the 4th, little wind still, we made only 17 
leagues. A negro sailor died on boaid of our ship. ^/" 
We then had about sixty sick persons in the Conquer- 
ant. The other vessels had much fewer, but it must 
be observed that the Conquerant had been fitted out for 
a long time, that it had left Brest on the 22d of Feb- 
ruary with M. de Guichen, but that having sustained 
damage it Avas compelled to return : the whole crew 
was composed of men, both sailors and soldiers, who 
had been at sea for a long time. The other vessels 
had just been fitted out at the time of our departure, and 
the crews were men who, for the most part, had ar- 
rived from their own homes. We also had on board 
about 150 persons more than the usual number on a 
vessel of our size, which occasioned crowding and was 
injurious to the wholesomeness of the air. Besides it ^ , . 
seems to me that little attention was paid to the health y\ 

of the crew and that the sick were neglected. "^ 

On the 5th, we made only 5 leagues; we took a 
gold fish, a fish which has beautiful colors and is 
very good to eat. 

On the 6th, we chased five vessels in the morning, 
but we could not discover what they were ; as they 
would have drawn us too much out of our course if we 



16 

had continued to follow them much longer, the admi- 
ral caused the chase to cease. It seems to me that it 
would, nevertheless, have been interesting to ascertain 
what they were in order to obtain news ; besides, they 
might have been English vessels coming from India, 
and that would have been a good prize : that was their 
course for returning to Europe, for they usually follow 
that latitude to reach the Azores. We were then in 
the latitude of 27° 31' and the longitude of 43° 39'. 
The admiral signaled a change of course or point of 
the compass and we ran west a quarter north west 
and, consequently, we were to proceed no farther south. 

On the 7th, the heat was powerful, the sky clear 
and cloudless. 

On the 8th, the admiral signaled a change of the 
point of the compass and bore due west. 

On the 9th, the wind is cool. We lost three men, 
two of whom were soldiers ; one died the evening be- 
fore ; eight in all since our departure. 

On the 11th, M. de Viomenil and M. de Custine re- 
ceived the order of battle, or instructions respecting 
our landing and some other details concerning our ex- 
pedition. 

On the 12th, at 6 o'clock in the morning, our frigates 
which had been ordered the night before to chase a 
little vessel, brought it with them ; it was English 



17 

and laden with codfish ; it was coming from Halifax 
and was bound to St. Eustacia. It told us that a ves- 
sel of Arbuthnot's squadron, called the Defiance, had 
been lost on the coast of New England, that the Robust, 
a ship of war of the same squadron, had also been 
greatly damaged and compelled to return to Halifax ; 
it also informed us that M. de Guichen arrived at 
Martinico on the 29th of March, and that Rodney had 
not yet appeared there on the 6th of April. We also 
learnt that the English were still busy in Carolina, but 
that Charleston was not taken. The admiral caused 
the codfish and the herrings with which this little 
vessel was laden to be divided among the ships of 
war of the squadron, and, after having pillaged and 
unrigged it, we abandoned it. This day we made 30 
leagues. 

On the 13th, the admiral slightly changed his course 
and bore more towards the west. Without doubt, he 
was unwilling to go near the Bermudas, where gales 
of wind are always encountered, and where we might 
also meet with some English ships, which it was essen- 
tial to avoid, having a convoy and assistance so im- 
portant to convey to the Americans. 

The 14th, remarkably cool ; the admiral caused the 
squadron to advance, for some time, in order of battle, 
that is to say, in a single line ; we usually proceeded 
3 



y 



in two, and even in three, the,^^*6^ forming one line. 
The remainder of the convoy kept to the windward of 
the squadron. To-day I saw a ilying-fish. They 
had been seen for some days past ; these fishes are 
one or two feet long; they rather leap than fly, and it 
is their fins that support them. That which I saw 
kept himself between wind and water ; he passed over 
about five or six fathoms, A soldier of the regiment 
of La Sarre died on board. 

On the 16th, w^e calculated that we were only two 
hundred leagues from St. Domingo, where we would 
have been already if that had been our destination. 
The heat was powerful, we were 4° from the tropic and 
were approaching the moment when the sun turns 
(June 21st) ; consequently, it was almost perpendicu- 
lar over our heads. So far, our voyage is agreeable, 
hardly any heavy sea, a good wind, no accident and 
few annoyances. Our ship was the onl}^ one suffering 
from sickness. To-day another man died. 

On the 18th, we found ourselves in the longitude of 
the Bermudas ; it is this high up that the trade winds 
cease and that variable winds are found. At 9 o'clock 
a vessel was signaled, at 10 o'clock it was joined by 
our frigates, which it waited for, supposing that it was 
an English squadron that it perceived. This vessel, 
which was an English brig, had fourteen four-pounders 



19 

and some swivels ; it had left Charleston at the be- 
ginning of the month and was going to Barbadoes to 
transport five officers who were rejoining their regi- 
ments, and to carry some dispatches of the British 
minister ; it had only a crew of thirty men ; they gave 
us four sailors on board of the Conquerant. We learnt 
from this vessel that the city of Charleston had sur- 
rendered to the English on the 4th of May, and that 
the siege began on the 1st of April, These news 
made us desire more than ever to reach Newport or 
some other point which the Americans should point 
out to us. They also told us of an engagement be- 
tween Rodney and M. de Guichen, but in a confused 
manner, and without telling us of the result. 

On the 19th, we sent ten sick persons on board of 
the Fantasque ; we had already sent as many to it 
some days before. This vessel was intended to serve 
as a hospital, although having several passengers on 
board. 

On the 20th, we had made 34 leagues. At noon 
the admiral signaled to steer to the north-west ; we 
were then in 30° 24' of latitude and 69° 20' of longitude. 
At half after one sails were signaled, which we caused 
to be reconnoitered by the Neptune and the Eveille, our 
best sailers. These sails bore down upon us ; we did 
not delay in approaching them. At 4 o'clock the 



20 



Neptune signaled that it was a hostile squadron ; it 
was then very near one of the vessels of this squadron 
and we supposed that it was about to commence the 
engagement, which we would have supported, seeing 
that we followed the Neptune pretty closely. Every 
one on board of us was at his post, and the beating to 
quarters had been ordered and executed. Then the 
admiral gave the signal for forming in line of battle, 
and we ran upon the same tack as the enemy, who 
were then bearing to the south-west. It required 
some time to form in line, because the vessels had 
chased without regard to order, and each of them had 
to regain its post. It was said that the admiral ought 
to have formed the line without regard to rank. How- 
ever that may be, we then perceived very distinctly 
five ships of war and a frigate : three seemed to us to 
be of 74 guns. At five o'clock the chaplain gave us 
the benediction ; I visited all the posts with the Baron 
Viomenil ; everywhere we witnessed the greatest 
gaiety and the best behavior. The English were to 
the windward, and our convoy, well collected, were to 
the leeward of us. One of the enemy's vessels seemed 
to wish to throw itself alongside of our convoj' ; it 
was the first of the English line ; we supposed it to 
be cut off by the Neptune, which was also at the head 
of our line. But the admiral, who wished to preserve 



21 

his line and cover his convoy, ordered it to slacken 
sail, which was done. The Englishman then tried to 
rejoin his squadron. It was six o'clock in the evening, 
we then displayed the French tiag, the English hoisted 
that of their nation ; and immediately the Neptune 
and the English ship, which was in advance of its line, 
began to cannonade each other, and in succession all 
our ships fired. The English vessel, against which 
the Neptune had fought, manoeuvred very well and re- 
turned to take the tail of its line ; it was exposed to 
all the fire of ours, whilst replying. We fought a 
little too far from each other. The English, who were 
to the windward, might have come nearer, but they 
did not seem to care about it. Nevertheless we saw 
very distinctly some of our shot reach the English 
vessels ; our ships for their part also received some. 
As to our ship, it did not appear to have received a 
single ball ; the English fired too high, for we heard 
the balls passing over our heads. This cannonade 
lasted about a quarter of an hour. During this time, 
I was before the mast with M. de Viomenil ; we also 
proceeded back of the mast near the captain, and once 
or twice I ascended the quarter deck bunk to under- 
stand the manoeuvres better. The admiral, after this 
first cannonade, gave the signal to take by counter- 
marching, desiring by that means to get near the 
enemy : as we formed the rear guard and as we were 



22 

the last to perform this movement, we greatly enjoyed 
the sight of this manoeuvre, which is very handsome 
and which was very well executed. The English 
made no move in opposition to it and then showed that 
they were unwilling to prolong this engagement ; it 
was seven o'clock in the evening. Our ships again 
fired some broadsides, especially at the vessel of the 
rear guard, which had already been exposed to the 
whole fire of our line. It replied on its part and did 
not cease firing. As to us, it appeared to us too dis- 
tant, and we despised firing upon it to no purpose. 
The sun was about to set and the English withdrew. 
It was too late to follow them ; besides it would have 
been useless, they seemed to be good sailers and we 
had bad sailers. Besides, the convoy, of which it 
would have been imprudent to lose sight, would ne- 
cessarily have delayed us. During the whole time the 
wind had been southwardly, it was a little cool, the 
sea was fine and everything was favorable for joining 
battle or being a spectator of it. This was not such 
as it might be ; but it might become murderous. We 
had the beginning of it. It is then that one may 
judge of the behavior of a person in it. They were 
satisfied with mine, and I was satisfied with it 
myself. In general every one conducted himself 
well, and the captain set us the example of it. I 



23 

have not given a handsome portrait of him ; but we 
pardon his defects on a day of battle, then he exhi- 
bited much activity and great composure. I am 
writing to-day, the 21st of June, the details of this 
encounter according to the impression made upon me, 
and such as I have beheld it ; and I believe that M. de 
Ternay could not have behaved otherwise than he did, 
as well on account of the convoy as with respect to 
the little daylight which was left when the English 
retired. Notwithstanding, from that very day I have 
heard him blamed by some naval officers and other 
persons, sufficiently enlightened : first, for having 
formed his line according to the order of battle ; se- 
condly, for having signaled the Neptune to slacken 
sail at the moment when it was about to cut off the 
English ship with which it was engaged, and which 
would have been undoubtedly captured, as they al- 
lege ; or else the English would have desired to assist 
it, which would have brought on the engagement, 
which must have been to our advantage, since we had 
two more vessels, were better armed and had captains 
of ships truly distinguished for their courage, such as M. 
de la Clochetterie and M. de Marigny. I shall not 
undertake to decide this question ; moreover, I shall 
return to this cannonade and shall insert in my journal 
the details which will be drawn up respecting it by some 



24 

man in the service, contenting myself in these first 
moments with mentioning in ray own way what I 
have seen and what I think. The English having 
disappeared, we proceeded in a bow and quarter line, 
steering to the north-west. On the evening of the en- 
gagement, whilst conversing with the Ardent, by means 
of a speaking-trumpet we learnt that the Neptune had 
had two men killed and five or six wounded. 

On the 21st, at noon, we found that we had made 
21 leagues, notwithstanding the time which we had 
lost owing to this encounter ; we saw the English no 
more, but we captured a small vessel belonging to that 
nation, laden with sailors going from Savannah to 
Jamaica. That day we lost two men, a soldier and a 
negro servant. All the sick whom we had shut up 
during the fight in the holds, had suffered greatly, 
many had come up on the deck and had taken their 
posts. This soldier who died had asked the favor of 
being allowed to serve. This day the admiral caused 
the captain to come on board of his vessel ; we learnt 
that the Duke of Burgundy had had two men killed 
and five or six wounded, and in the whole squadron 
they summed up 21 men killed or wounded. It was 
suspected on board of the Duke of Burgundy that it 
was Admiral Arbuthnot whom we had met, and that 
he was proceeding to Jamaica; that was also our 



26 

opinion, which agreed with that of the English offi- 
cers who were prisoners in our ships. 

On the 22d, 22 leagues. In the evening we had a 
dead calm. I took advantage of it to go on board of 
the Arde)d, to see my comrade, M. de Villemanzy, who 
was on board of it, and M. Demars, the manager of 
the hospitals. It seemed to me that they greatly re- 
gretted there that we had not come nearer to the 
enemy. M. de Marigny, without explaining himself 
too much, seemed to regret it more than any one else ; 
an answer of his to the admiral was quoted, which 
deserves to be related ; the latter asked him with 
what English admiral he believed that they had been 
engaged. M. de Marigny replied : " We have lost the 
opportunity of finding it out." To-day, several sails 
were perceived from the tops of the masts; six of 
them were counted, which were presumed to be the 
ships which we had fought. 

On the 23d, in the morning, the calm ended : the 
wind was from the west and we may have made 14 
leagues by noon. We went on a direct course towards 
Rhode Island, from which we were distant 160 leagues. 
The nearest land might be distant 110 leagues. Some 
vessels were perceived which were chased to no pur- 
pose. The Oaepe entered into this pursuit so far that 
4 



26 



we lost sight of her ; she did not rejoin the squadron 
until very late at night. 

On the 24th, 15 leagues; in the evening, we again 
had almost a dead calm. M. de ViomeniVs brother, who 
was on board of the Neptune, came aboard of our ship. 
According to what he said to us, it did not appear that 
they were as much dissatisfied aboard of the Neptune 
with M. de Tern ay's conduct as upon the other ships. 
They only thought on board of this ship that he might, 
without inconvenience, have permitted it to chase 
the enemy's ship which it was pursuing, and which it 
had attacked, as I have related ; it was a ship of 64 
guns. They had lost only one man by sickness on 
board of the Neptune, and they had not the scurvy 
there ; we have already seen that we were not in so 
good a condition, very far from it. 

Note added, on copying this journal : 

If I have spoken of this combat at great length, it 
is because it interests me much and also because we 
are incessantly speaking of it among ourselves. On a 
vessel, the least event occupies the mind, and espe- 
cially those of this sort. To-day when I am cool, I 
judge without passion and with more experience : I 
will therefore confess that I have defended M. de 
Ternay too much. It is certain that his chief object 
being to carry assistance to the Americans, he ought 



27 



not to risk an engagement so lightly, nor rashly to 
expose the generals of the land forces and the troops 
which are on board of the ships of war ; but on this 
occasion he had so decided a superiority that he was 
really wrong in causing the Neptune to slacken sail or 
in forming his line in such a way as caused him to 
lose much time. 

Besides, we have since learnt that the five vessels 
were commanded by Commodore Cornwallis, who was 
returning to Europe with them after having escorted 
a convoy, which was returning to Europe, as high up 
as the Bermudas. The account that he has given of 
this engagement is not entirely correct. It is to be 
found in the Gazette of Utrecht of October 27th, 1780, 
and the Courier of Europeoi i\\Q 13th of the same month. 
He states that only three men were killed and five 
wounded in his squadron, which seems impossible, cne 
of his ships having been twice exposed to the fire of 
our whole squadron. Our ships, which received the 
fire of only a single English vessel, had many more. 

Here is the list of this English squadron over which 
we had a great superiority of force. 

The Bristol, 50 guns ; The Sultan, 74 ; The Lion, 
64 ; on board of which was the commodore. The 
Hector, 74, and the Ruby, 64. (This is the one that 
was engaged). He also had one frigate. 



28 



The 25th, 15 leagues. 



The 26th, 16 leagues. A soldier of the regiment of 
La Sarre, who had the scurvy, died on board. 

The 27th, 27 leagues. In the evening, the wind 
became violent and changeable ; there was thunder 
and the admiral made us lie to ; we remained there 
all night. The sea was rough. We lost a sailor. 

On the 28th, at 10 o'clock, the sea became calmer. 
At noon, we had made 13 leagues. We were then in 
latitude 35° 45' and in longitude 74° 24'. The general 
signaled a course to the west-north-west, which led us 
towards Chesapeake bay. We again lost a man. On 
the 30th, another. 

On the first of July the wind was from the north- 
east. According to the pilot's observations, we were 
in the latitude of Chesapeake bay and we had run 
less to the north than we had supposed, which proves 
that there are currents. We saw plainly that we had 
been deceived in the calculation of our longitudes, for, 
according to those which the pilot had given us, we 
ought to be in Chesapeake bay, and it seems that we 
were still far from it ; for not only were we unable to 
see the land, but on sounding we found no bottom. 
Another soldier who had the scurvy died. 

On the 2d of July, 15 leagues ; we still bore towards 
Chesapeake bay. In the evening we were becalmed. 



29 



On the 3d, the wind rose. They again sounded 
without finding bottom ; we were all very impatient 
to see land ; our voyage was beginning to be long, and 
we had a great number of sick persons on board. The 
scurvy was seizing the whole crew, and even the com- 
pany of Grenadiers of Saintonge. We were the more 
impatient to arrive as, according to all the observations 
of the pilot of the squadron on the longitudes, we 
ought to have arrived already. However, these mis- 
takes in longitudes are common, and there is no sure 
method of rectifying them ; well-regulated chronome- 
ters may give some pretty nearly, but this method 
has not been sufficiently tried. 

Besides, the watches which were on board of the 
Duke of Burgundy had not been well regulated on our 
departure. I observe also that a squadron which 
often lies to, which increases or slackens sail at every 
moment, is more likelv to be deceived in the reckoning; 
of its longitudes than a vessel which goes alone and 
uniformly ; it may also be that our charts are not 
exact, and that New England is improperly put down 
upon them. 

On the 4th, a sailor died ; we lost one of them the 
night before. I learnt it from the surgeon-major with 
whom I was intimately acquainted ; for otherwise 
these events would not be known in the round house 



30 



where we remain, nor even upon deck. A dead man 
is thrown into the sea through a port-hole, and no one 
sees it except the persons entrusted with the care of 
the sick, who are kept in the lowest parts of the ship. 
On the same day the pilot gave us only 27 leagues. At 
one o'clock we paid out as nlucli as eight knots, which 
makes three leagues, less one-third. A small vessel 
was discovered which our frigates chased. It dis- 
charged its guns two or three times, but after a chase 
of two hours it surrendered. Whilst the Amazone 
was lashing it, the Surveillante signaled that it had 
found bottom at 22 fathoms, which has occasioned 
great joy and gave us hope of seeing land to-day. I 
am writing this a moment afterwards. The Conquer- 
ant has also just sounded ; it found 25 fathoms. The 
admiral has made us lie to. We learnt from the Ama- 
zone, on board of which we sent, that the prize which 
we have just taken was coming from New York and 
was going to Charleston ; it was a merchantman laden 
with wine ; it confirmed us in the opinion that we 
were only eight or nine leagues from shore and from the 
entrance of Chesapeake bay. At half after four, we 
resumed our course, and at six o'clock we could not be 
more than five or six leagues from land. The admi- 
ral having perceived some sails in front of us and in 
the direction of the land, which was not in sight, p-nd 



31 

believing that they were large vessels, he gave the 
signal to clear the decks for action and then to tack 
about, so that we went away from the land. It was 
suspected that the vessels which we saw were those 
which Admiral Graves was bringing from Europe, and 
among which were some with three decks. We ex- 
pected to be pursued and attacked during the night ; 
but at daybreak we saw only two vessels which seemed 
to be frigates ; one of them bore the English flag ; our 
admiral chased them with two frigates. It was about 
six o'clock when this chase began ; at ten o'clock the 
admiral ordered it to be discontinued, as he perceived 
that the vessels in pursuit were not gaining upon the 
enemy's vessels. This was unfortunate ; for besides 
that they might have afforded us some useful informa- 
tion, such a prize would have delighted us; we had to 
regret removing from the land, only five or six leagues 
distant, in order to go now in search of it at a greater 
distance. At three o'clock we lay to in order to col- 
lect the convoy, which was scattered. The admiral 
restored order. We learnt by the return of the officer 
of our ship that the two vessels which had been chased 
had been mingled with us during the night and had 
even discharged their cannons twice at the Duke of 
Burgundy and the Neptune ; it was fortunate that 
they had not fastened upon the convoy; they might 



32 



have captured some vessel or at least have damaged 
it. According to appearances, their design was to 
have themselves chased and to entice one or two of 
our vessels into the midst of the English squadron, 
which, doubtless, was not so strong as had been sup- 
posed, since it did not pursue us. The officers of our 
frigates say that they were gaining upon the English 
vessels, one of which was of 26 guns and the other 
only a corvette of 18 ; they offered in proof that one 
of these frigates had itself admitted that we had the 
advantage over it, since it had thrown its boat and its 
spare maintop mast into the sea, in order to lighten it. 
The admiral continued his course towards Rhode Is- 
land ; yet he said that circumstances might induce 
him to proceed to Boston ; he also declared that he 
had never intended to enter Chesapeake bay, except 
to procure water and to land his sick ; that it had al- 
ways been his intention to land the army at Newport 
or Boston. This assertion of his was disbelieved by 
many ; and he was blamed for having tacked about on 
the evening of the 4th, when he perceived some ves- 
sels ; we ought to have gone near to ascertain pre- 
cisely their number and strength. Not more than 
eight had ever been counted, among which there had, 
perhaps, been some frigates. If it was too late on that 
day, the 4th, when these sails were perceived, we might 



33 

have lain to, after coming as near as possible, and have 
rejoined them at daybreak. These reflections did not 
escape the crews, thus they were dissatisfied and lost 
confidence in their leader ; it ^vas, therefore, greatly 
to be desired that they should land speedily and not 
meet the enemy's squadron, and the rather as we had 
two hundred and fifty sick. 

Note. It is certain that M. de Ternay manoeuvred 
very badly on this occasion. I have heard this as- 
serted by M. de Cappellis, a very well-informed naval 
officer, who was attached to the admiral on board of 
the Duke of Burgundy. He manoeuvred so much the 
worse, as we have learnt that these vessels were only 
a convoy, escorted by only two or three ships of war, 
and that the frigates which mixed themselves among 
us had been sent to take up our time and to draw us 
away. They risked them to save the convoy. However, 
it has been more to our advantage that we landed in 
Rhode Island instead of Chesapeake bay ; it is cooler ; 
the air there is much more healthful ; the army and 
the squadron recovered there much better and more 
rapidly. 

On the 6th, at noon, we had made 24 leagues ; we 
were in the latitude of 38° and longitude of 75° ; the 
wind was favorable, the sea calm. We saw many 
5 



34 



sharks and porpoises or blowers ; some were more 
than 25 feet long. 

On the 7th, 25 leagues. We lost a man. It is sup- 
posed that we are not more than 50 leagues from 
Newport. The captains of the ships were summoned. 
I accompanied M. de la Grandiere and learnt that we 
were positively to proceed to Newport and not to Bos- 
ton. It had been foggy all day, in the evening it be- 
came very thick and the ships could not see each other ; 
therefore, that they might not run foul of each other, 
cannons and muskets were fired from time to time ; 
this fog lasted all night. 

On the 8th, in the morning, the fog cleared off, but 
we had calms, so that at noon we had made only 12 
leagues. Again we lost a sailor. In the afternoon, 
the fog reappeared, we did not perceive a single ves- 
sel. This fog lasted all night and was accompanied 
by thunder. These fogs are very frequent in these 
seas and as far as the banks of Newfoundland ; it also 
happens that a troubled sea is found there without 
there being any wind ; this proceeds from the banks 
of sand ; as we approach them that is produced which 
is called the accords of a bank, and the sea is always 
rough. 

At this period and for about a month past, notwith- 
standing the bad food, especially the bad water, and 



the scurvy, by which we were surrounded, I was very 
well ; in s23eakingof the water, I will say that although 
it was black and unpleasant to the sight, it had not a 
bad taste ; we had drunk some of it which had been 
on board for six months. 

On the 9th, in the morning, one of our frigates 
sounded and found bottom at forty fathoms. 

The fog became thicker than it had yet been. At 
half after 11, being about three leagues from Block 
island, a little island situated four leagues from 
Rhode island, the admiral by eight discharges of 
cannon, gave a signal for anchoring, which was done. 
The wind was cool and the fog very thick ; yet this 
manoeuvre was very successful and without accident. 
I am writing this a moment afterwards, about noon. 
It is very desirable that the fog should cease and that 
we should at least be able to land. The condition of 
our sick is worse, and a battle loould not he more mur- 
derous than a longer stay at sea. We are in a very 
critical moment. Shall we meet the English before land- 
ing, and will they have a superior force ? At any rate, it 
is to their interest to attack us. Therefore the gene- 
ral opinion is that we shall not land without firing a 
gun, and perhaps at the moment when we least expect 
it. An English squadron may be near us without our 
knowing it on account of the fog. How shall we be re- 



36 



ceived hy the Americans ? Have they not made their 
peace ? or, at least, have not the EngHsh seized the 
ground to which we expect to proceed ? These are 
the questions which we ask each other. I have, there- 
fore, reason to say that we are in a critical and truly 
interesting situation ; and it is to be regretted that we 
have not met with any American vessel ; it is still 
more surprising that they have not sent any one to 
meet us. 

At half after one, the fog began to disperse ; then 
the admiral signaled to raise the anchor and to set 
sail. We found ourselves very near him and con- 
versed with M. de Rochambeau ; he invited M. de 
Viomenil to go and talk with him. He did so and, on 
his return, told us that M. de Ternay's intention was 
to go as near to the land as possible and then, if we 
did not meet with the enemy, to land M. de Rocham- 
beau and his staff; that, for this purpose, he would go 
on board of a frigate and, as soon as he has gone, a 
signal will be made on board of the Due de Bourgogne 
for M. de Viomenil's going to it with me, that he may 
take command of the troops which are not landed, and 
that I may receive his orders respecting the business 
of my department ; M. de Tarle, the directing commis- 
sary, is to accompany M. de Rochambeau. At half past 
three on the same day we set sail. A minute after- 



37 



wards one of the merchantmen which we had captured 
signaled the land. At four o'clock, it was discovered 
from the masts of our vessel ; at five o'clock, we all saw 
it very distinctly : After a voyage of 69 days, this 
was a great joy ; our sick people came out of their 
beds, and this sight seemed to restore them to health. 
I am writing in the first moment of excitement ; one 
should have been at sea, in the midst of the sick and 
dying, to feel it thoroughly. What adds to our satis- 
faction is that we do not discover a sail, and that, ac- 
cording to appearance, we shall land without hindrance, 
which is greatly to be desired, I repeat it, for there are 
many sick, not only on our vessel but upon all those 
of the squadron and of the convoy. On the same day 
at about eight o'clock, the admiral made us anchor ; 
we were three leagues from the land ; what we saw was 
Martha's Vineyard, a little island lying to the north 
and twelve leagues from Rhode island. We again lost 
two sailors. 

On the 10th, at four o'clock in the morning, the ad- 
miral caused us to set sail ; towards noon, some pilots 
reached us from the neighboring islands. The one 
whom we had on board told us that the Americans 
were still masters of Rhode Island and that he did 
not believe that the English had a greater force than 
ours in these seas. This man was from the island of 



Martha's Vineyard ; he had come of his own accord to 
offer us his services ; he was a good man and displayed 
intelligence. He was neither a royalist nor insurgent, 
but a friend to everybody, as he told us with much 
simplicity. At ten o'clock in the evening, we an- 
chored. Another sailor died. 

On the 11th, at four o'clock in the morning, we raised 
the anchor. At seven o'clock, during foggy weather, a 
vessel of the convoy gave a signal of danger ; it was 
very near the land ; before long, we perceived it our- 
selves. The admiral made us anchor, the rather as the 
fog was growing thicker ; but it soon dispersed at eight 
o'clock ; we saw the land very distinctly, which was 
on one side. Point Judith, from which we were only a 
league distant, and on the other, Rhode island. We 
distinguished the shore of Point Judith perfectly well ; 
it appeared pleasant to us. But what we saw with 
great satisfaction was a French flag placed upon each 
of the two shores which were in front of us. This 
signal, doubtless agreed upon with M. de La Fayette, 
who had preceded our squadron, informed us that the 
English were not masters of Rhode island, and that 
we would be well received there. M. de Rochambeau 
and the officers of his staff repaired on board of the 
Amazone, which immediately set sail for Newport, 
where he arrived before noon. For my part, I went 



39 

with M. de Viomenil on board of the Due de Bour- 
gogne, as had been agreed upon. 

In the meanwhile, the vessels of the convoy raised 
their anchors and also proceeded to Newport. The wind 
was light, but having risen at four o'clock, M. de Ternay 
caused the ships of war to set sail ; the sea was calm 
and everything favored our progress so that we reached 
Newport about seven o'clock. The ships anchored pretty 
near each other a quarter of a league from the city. 
M. de La Touche, a naval lieutenant, the commander 
of the frigate Hermione, who had left Rochefort a 
month before us, to announce our arrival and to con- 
duct M. de La Fayette as well as M. de Corny, came on 
board of the Due de Burgogne and confirmed what we 
had already learnt from our pilots, that he had had an 
engagement a short time before with an English frigate 
of equal force, an engagement which had been nearly 
equal on both sides, and in which he had 10 men 
killed and 37 wounded ; he himself had received a 
ball in his arm. The Englishman had lost more men, 
but had been less damaged in the rigging. 

Note. When M. de La Fayette set out for America, 
it was a question whether a commissary should be 
given to him, in order to prepare what would be ne- 
cessary for our troops. They cast their eyes upon me ; 
but I w^as at Nantes, and although it was proposed to 



40 



send a courier to me, they calculated that I would not 
have twenty-four hours to prepare for my departure. 
M. de Corny was then appointed, who did not belong 
to the expedition, and who happened to be at Ver- 
sailles ; it occasioned great expense and was not of 
much assistance. I will speak of it again. 



41 



CHAPTER 11. 



LcDidlng at Rhode Island — Threatened Attack of an Jincflish 
Fleet — Estahlhhment of the Hospitals — M. Blanchard is 
sent to Boston — Rhode Island is placed in a State of De- 
fense — Composition of the Army — First Intercourse of the 
F'ench Generals iiu.fh General Washington — Residence at 
Providence — Its Environs — Markets for the Army — 
Winter Quarters of the French Forces. 



(From July 12th, 1780 to March 27th, 1781.) 

On the Vlt\\ of July, L780, the day after our arrival, 
the troops had not yet landed ; there was even an 
express prohibition against landing, and I did not ob- 
tain permission until four o'clock in the afternoon. I, 
therefore, placed my foot upon the earth at Newport. 
This city is small, but handsome ; the streets are 
straight and the houses, although mostly of wood, of 
agreeable shape. In the evening there was an illu- 
mination. I entered the house of an inhabitant, who 
received me very well ; I took tea there, which was 
served by a young lady. 

On the loth, I was at Papisquash on the main 
land, twenty leagues from Newport, to examine an 
6 



42 

establishment which M. de Corny had arranged for 
our sick. I stopped at Bristol, a village not far from 
Papisquash, and looked for an inn where I might dine ; 
but I found nothing there but coffee and badly-raised 
bread ; we were obliged to have it toasted to be able 
to eat it. I was with M. Demars, the steward of the 
hospitals, and M. Corte, the first physician. We were 
obliged to pay 12 livres for the passage of a ferry-boat : 
they asked 30 of us : we found on our way some pretty 
houses ; but the country is generally barren in the 
part which we traversed ; there are few trees and they 
are not very hardy. From this day, the 13th, our 
troops began to disembark. 

On the 14th and 15th the tioops finished landing 
and encamping about half a league from Newport. 
We sent some of the sick to Papisquash, and, at the 
same time, put some of them in an establishment 
hastily formed at Newport, On the 15th, the fri- 
gate Hermione, which M. de Ternay sent to cruise 
from the instant of our arrival, to go in search of 
the Isle of France, one of our transports which 
had become separated from us during the fogs of 
which 1 have spoken, returned without having found 
it. This transport was conveying 350 men of the 
regiment of Bourbonnois, some military stores, and 
many effects belonging to the general officers ; we 



43 



were all very uneasy, aiicl I more than any one 
else : my brother-in-law, the Chevalier de Coriolis, 
an officer of the regiment of Bourbonnois, was' on 
board of it.^ Nevertheless, we hoped that this ves- 
sel might reach Boston, and we impatiently waited 
for news of it. 

On the 16th, we sent a great number of the sick to 
Papisquash. For this purpose, I was in the harbor on 
board of several vessels. On the same day I went to 
occupy a lodging that was furnished in a very pretty 
house ; previously, I had lodged with M. de Tarle ; I 
also continued to live with him. 

On the 17th, in the morning, I chanced to enter a 
school. The master seemed to me a very worthy 
man ; he was teaching some children of both sexes ; 
all were neatly clad ; the room in which the school 
was kept was also very clean. I saw the writing of 
these children, it appeared to me to be handsome, 
among others, that of a young girl 9 or 10 years old, 
very pretty and very modest and such as I would like 
my own daughter to be, when she is as old ; she was 
called Abigail Earl, as I perceived upon her copy-book, 
on which her name was written. I wrote it myself, add- 
ing to it " very pretty."^ This school had really in- 

' Batistaine de Coriolis. 

- These two words are in English in the original. 



44 



terested me, and the master had not the air of a mis- 
sionarj^ but the tone of the father of a family. 

On the 18th, I visited, in company with M. de 
Rochambeau, an Anabaptist temple,^ where we esta- 
blished a hospital. 

On the 19th, I was at Papisquash, where there were 
aU^eady 280 sick persons ; but they were far from being 
provided with everything that was necessary for them ; 
fortunately, they were in a pretty good air. Papis- 
quash forms a kind of landscape surrounded by trees. 
The commonest are acacias, pear-trees and cherry- 
trees ; the ground is sown with flax and maize, with 
a little barley and rye. Besides, our sick who had 
the scurvy began to recover ; vegetables were furnished 
them and the physician allowed them to eat cherries. 
We lived on good terms with the inhabitants of this 
neighborhood. They are affable, well clad, very 
cleanly and all tall. The women enjoy the same ad- 
vantages, have fair skins and are generally pretty. 
They all have oxen and cows, at least as iiandsome as 
those of our Poitou ; their cows are not stabled and 
pass the night in the fields ; they give much milk. 

On the 20th I returned to Newport ; I there learnt 
that the Isle of France had put into port at Boston, 



Protestant churches are called temples in France. 



45 

which was very good news for me, as for everyone 
else. 

On the 21st, after having dined with the Baron de 
Viomenil, as we were at the quarters of General de 
Rochambeau, who was holding a council, we were in- 
formed that several vessels were perceived steering for 
Newport ; it was four o'clock ; he immediately mounted 
his horse and caused several batteries to be established 
upon the shore. M. de Ternay, for his part, made 
some arrangements. The vessels that were discovered 
were lying to at nightfall. I also mounted on horse- 
back and saw them very plainly ; I counted nineteen 
of them. 

On the 22d, the same vessels still appeared, they 
cruised all day ; it was not likely that they would at- 
tempt to enter Newport. M. de Rochambeau, with 
whom I dined that day, said publicly that he wished 
that the English would attempt it. At this dinner 
were several Americans, all good patriots, and also an 
English officer, who was a prisoner. They addressed 
some sharp words to each other ; which proves how 
earnest both parties were. 

On the 23d, we still saw the English ; there were 
eleven large vessels, the rest were frigates or trans- 
ports. M. de Rochambeau came to hear mass at the 
hospital and to visit the sick ; we had 400 of them at 



46 



Newport and 280 at Papisquash ; the detachment of 
the regiment of Bourbon nois, which had landed at 
Boston, also had a hundred of them, so that we had 
about 800 sick out of a body of troops amounting to 
5000 men ; for I speak only of the sick among the land 
forces. The navy had its own in its own hospitals. 
The royal regiment of Deux- Fonts had 300 of them ; it 
appears that the Germans feel the heat more and are 
more subject to the scurvy than the French. All 
these maladies had begun to manifest themselves when 
we were in the latitude of 27°. There is reason to be- 
lieve that we shall save many of them ; the air of 
Rhode Island is good ; it is hot there, but only in the 
middle of the day ; for the mornings and evenings are 
cool without being damp. I have not been able to as- 
certain positively the degree of heat, not having a 
thermometer. At present, the temperature seems to 
me to be the same as that of the island of Corsica, 24° 
on an average. 

On the 24th, the detachment of the regiment of 
Bourbonnois, which had landed at Boston, arrived at 
Newport. I saw my brother-in-law, to whom I gave 
a dinner the next day. 

On the 25th, it was decided that I should go to Bos- 
ton to introduce a little order into the hospital which 
had been hastily established there to receive the sick 



47 

who had been landed from the Isle of France. In the 
evening the Count de Rocliambeau sent me some 
letters to carry to the captain of a French vessel which 
was at Boston, and which was expected to sail imme- 
diately. The general sent for me again and pretty 
late, since I had gone to bed. I went to him ; he 
asked me to start on horseback the next day, as early 
as possible (I was to go in a coach with M. de Capellis, 
a naval officer) and he gave me some letters for the 
Boston committee, to persuade them to order the pro- 
vincial troops under their command to repair to New- 
port as quickly as possible. In fact, he had just been 
informed by General Washington that the English 
intended to attack us at Rhode Island. M. de Rocli- 
ambeau told me what to add on my own account, in 
order to supplement what he had not been able to say 
in the dispatch, in order to make them feel the need 
of this assistance. 

On the 2Gth, at five o'clock in the morning, I 
mounted my horse, accompanied by a dragoon in the 
American service, a Saxon who had come to America 
with the Hessian troops in the pay of England. He 
spoke English, with which I was as yet unacquainted, 
but fortunately Latin also and very well, so that we 
were able to converse ; it is the first time that Latin 
has been of use to me in this way. I explained my 



48 



ideas in Latin to this dragoon, and, by translating 
them into English, he served as my interpreter with 
the people of the country. At noon, we were at 
Providence, a city of the same importance as Newport 
and more commercial ; it has good anchorage and a 
very convenient port, suitable for trade. I got down 
at the house of some French merchants, to which 
one of their clerks whom I met on the road conducted 
me, and I dined with them. M, Lyon, one of these 
merchants, whose main house was at Boston, gave me 
a letter to his partner, M. Adolph, who had remained 
there. My horse being tired, they procured me a 
small carriage drawn by a horse which I drove myself. 
I set out at five o'clock, still accompanied by my dra- 
goon ; at eleven o'clock in the evening we were only 
five leagues from Boston ; but we were obliged to lie 
at an inn. On the road and when night had arrived, 
as we were passing through a wood, I gave free course 
to my thoughts. I was 1500 leagues from my own 
country, accompanied by a man who had come him- 
self a still greater distance ; a strange destiny placed 
us beside each other for a moment. 

On the 27th, I set out for Boston and arrived there 
at nine o'clock. I got down at M. Adolph's, who re- 
ceived me very well and offered me a room which I 
accepted. I had myself taken immediately to the 



49 



house of Mr, Bowdoin,^ the president of the Boston 
committee, to whom I handed M. de Rochambeau's 
letter and another which had been entrusted to me by 
M. de Corny, who was acquainted with him and had 
been very intimate with him when he was in Boston. 
I had a Frenchman with me, as an interpreter, called 
the Chevalier de Luz, who called himself an officer. 
Mr. Bowdoin caused the committee to be assembled, 
agreeably to the general's letter ; and in the evening 
he sent me an answer which I immediately forwarded 
to M. de Rochambeau ; it was favorable and orders 
had been given for the militia to repair immediately 
to Rhode Island. On the 28th, I saw Mr. Bowdoin 
again, in company with M. de Capellis, who had ar- 
rived. He invited us to come in the evening to take 
tea at his house. We went there ; the t^a was served 
by his daughter, Mrs. Temple, a beautiful woman, 
whose Imsband was a tory, that is to say opposed to 
the revolution ; he had even left America and gone to 
England. Mr. Bowdoin has a very handsome house ; 
he is a wealthy man and respected in his country ; he 
is descended from a French refugee and his name pro- 
claims it. He received us politely and had a very 
noble bearing. I ought not to forget that he told me 
that I resembled Franklin when he was young. On 

' Spelt Beaiidoiu in the original. 

7 



50 

the same day we went to Mr. Hancock's, but he was 
sick and we were not able to see him. This Mr. Han- 
cock^ is one of the authors of the revolution, as also is 
the doctor with whom we breakfasted on the 29th : he 
is a minister who seemed to me to be a man of intelli- 
gence, eloquent and enthusiastic. ~ He has much in- 
fluence over the inhabitants of Boston who are devout 
and Presbyterians, imbued, generally, with the principles 
of Cromwell's partisans, from whom they are descended. 
Therefore, they are more attached to independence 
than any other class of people in America; and it was 
they who began the revolution. 

During my stay in Boston, I dined at the house of 
a young American lady, where M. de Capellis lodged. 
At Newport we had seen her sister and her brother-in- 
law, Mr. Carter, an Anglo-American, who had come 
to supply provisions to our army. It is a great contrast 
to our manners to see a young lady (she was twenty, 
at the most) lodging and entertaining a young man. 
I shall certainly have occasion to explain tjie causes 
of this singularity. 

The city of Boston seemed to me as large as Orleans, 
not so broad, perhaps, but longer. It is, likewise, well- 
built and displays an indescribable cleanliness which 

' vS})elt Ancouke in tlie originul. 
- The Rev. Dr. Cooper. 



51 

is pleasing ; most of the houses are of wood ; some are 
of stone and brick. The people seemed to be in easy cir- 
cumstances. Nevertheless the shops were poorly stocked 
with goods, and everything was very dear, which re- 
sulted from the war. Their bookstores had hardly 
anything but prayer-books ; an English and French 
dictionary cost me eight louis d'or. I saw on the signs 
of two shops the name of Blanchard, written like my 
own, one Caleb Blanchard, the other, John. 

In general, we were very well received by the Bos- 
tonians, we exhibited much interest in them and made 
them understand how much the king felt for them ; 
we mentioned a speech of his to them, on this sub- 
ject ; he said to the Count of Koch.ambeau who was 
taking leave of him that he recommended the Ame- 
ricans to him, adding, "These are my real allies;" 
which, doubtless, meant that it was Louis XVI himself 
who had made a treaty of alliance with them, whilst 
the treaties with other allies dated from previous reigns. 
Ought I to mention that M. de Volnais, the consul of 
France, having taken me in his coach along with M. 
de Capellis, overturned us at the corner of a sloping 
street ? It was a very high and open carriage, a kind 
of whisky, so that we were thrown upon the pavement 
and to a considerable distance. Fortunately we were 
not in the least hurt, excepting the consul, who fell 



52' 



upon a wound which he had received a short time 
before, whilst fighting a duel with another Frenchman ; 
for he was a manslayer, my fate being to meet them 
everywhere. This one was a good fellow, but not very 
well adapted for the post which he filled. 

M. de Capellis and I left Boston on the oOth and 
slept at Providence, which is distant 45 miles, that is 
to say, about fifteen leagues. The road is pleasant, 
we passed through some woods, where there are some 
pretty handsome oaks. They appeared to me to be 
of a different species from ours ; their leaf is larger and 
the bark is not so smooth. We find also some pretty 
handsome villages, and, as it was Sunday, we continu- 
ally met people who were going to the temple or re- 
turning from it, most of them in light carriages, drawn 
by a single horse. There are few inhabitants in this 
part of the country who do not own one, for, without 
being rich, they are in easy circumstances. They 
cultivate the earth themselves, with the help of some 
negroes ; but these estates belong to them and they 
are owners. We also met some provincial soldiers, 
who, in obedience to the orders that the Boston com- 
mittee had sent to them, were repairing in crowds to 
Newport, where, in less than three days, there would 
have been more than four thousand of them, if there 
had not been a countermand, upon the information 
which we received that we would not be attacked. 



53 

On the 31st, we started for Newport, where we ar- 
rived on the same day. There were ten good leagues 
and a ferry sometimes difficult to cross. We found 
that they were at work over the whole island in restor- 
ing the old redoubts made by the English and in making 
new ones. At this work the American militia were 
employed, a part of whom had been retained ; our 
troops worked on them, for their part, so that they 
were in a condition to give a warm reception to the 
English, who had committed a great fault in not at- 
tacking us as soon as they appeared ; then, whatever M. 
de Rochambeau said, who, nevertheless, did very well 
to appear secure, they might have done us much mis- 
chief; nothing was ready, few of the cannon were as 
yet in battery, our soldiers were sick or tired and almost 
all of the sailors on shore. But, in fifteen days, they 
had had time to recover and to make good arranoe- 
ments as well for our vessels as for the land forces. 

I have been very busy during the first days of Au- 
gust ; moreover, I do not perceive any observations that 
appear to me to be worth mentioning, until this day, 
August the 13th. Since the 1st, we have remained 
very quiet in our island of Rhode Island. The Eno-- 
lish ships have appeared and disappeared ; it has been 
said by turns that they would attack us and that they 
would not attack us ; the two admirals, French and 



54 



English, have sent flags of truce to each other. Be- 
sides, we have continued to put the island in- a con- 
dition of defense, with the assistance of some American 
troops. To-day, the 13th, there was a council of ad- 
ministration at M. de Rochambeau's, composed of the 
general officers and the commissaries. I had a very 
lively scene with the steward^ respecting a purchase of 
meat which we have passed for the hospitals, which 
he had at first rejected, although he has made one 
subsequently for the whole army at a much higher 
price than that for the hospital. Our dispute arose 
from his having asserted that either M. Demars or I 
had reported that he had refused to accept an advan- 
tageous bargain, and that this was injurious to his re- 
putation. I repeated it in every particular and 
answered him with a coohiess and vigor of which I 
did not believe myself capable. • The Messrs. de 
Viomenil, who are friendly to me, consider that I was 
not gentle enough towards the steward. M. de Ro- 
chambeau said nothing to me about it, but I perceived 
that he disapproved of my conduct. The next day I 
went to Papisquash with M. de Beville, quarter-mas- 
ter general of the army. I saw M. de Tarle before 
my departure ; we spoke to each other coolly, but with- 
out any explanations. On my return, I was at the 



1 M. de Tarle. 



55 

quarters of M. de Rochambeau, who behaved to me as 
usual. But the Baron de Vionienil insisted on recon- 
ciling me with the steward ; he had the kindness to 
take me to his house : [we embraced and all was said ;^] 
but I am afraid that this scene will be repeated, the 
said gentleman having ways of doing business utterly 
opposed to mine. He is cold, methodical, hard to 
please in matters of business and not very enlightened : 
besides he is haughty and certainly has a cold heart.^ 

On Thursday the 17th, I went to Providence with 
M. Demars. I have already spoken of this city which 
I prefer to Newport ; it seems more lively, more ad- 
dicted to commerce, more sujaplies are to be found there. 
We there established a very considerable hospital in a 
very handsome house, formerly occupied as a college. 

On the 18th, after having attended to this establish- 
ment, I paid some visits in the city, first to Mr. Var- 
num : he had been made the commander-in-chief of 



^(Apparently by a later hand.) Tliey embraced easily in 
those days. This fashion has passed away. 

~ All that was tnie, and the steward, in this instance, was cer- 
tainly the first in the wrong ; biit on my ])art, I was too warm ; 
I ought, either by great moderation or by some jests, to have 
put the laughers on my side, whereas my warmth was blamed. 
I have often reproached myself for this scene, and I reproach 
myself for it still more strongly to day (2d year of the republic). 
It certainly excited prejudice against me. 



56 



the militia of the country and had been styled gene- 
ral. I then went to Mr. Hancock's whom I have 
already mentioned ; he has come to Providence on 
account of business ; I was very well received by them. 

On the 19th, General Varnum took me two miles 
from the city to a sort of garden where difierent per- 
sons had met and were playing nine-pins ; they made 
us drink punch and tea. The place was pleasant and 
rural, and this little jaunt gave me pleasure. I was 
beginning to speak some English words and was able 
to converse. Besides, General Varnum spoke Latin. 
On the 20th, I dined at the house of the said general 
with his wife and his sister-in-law ; after dinner some 
young ladies came who seemed well disposed to con- 
verse and to become acquainted with us. They were 
very handsomely dressed. 

In the evening, M. Gau, commandant of artillery, 
who arrived from Boston, informed me that the Alli- 
ance, an American frigate, had just arrived. It had 
left Lorient on the 9th of July. The captain, named 
Landais, born a F)'enchinan, had left Lorient without 
waiting for the king's despatches. He wished to cruise, 
although laden with powder which he was ordered to 
bring straight to Boston ; his crew, tired of his follies 
and his vexations, had shut him up in his cabin and 
had given the command of the frigate to his mate. 



57 

On board were two French officers, aides-de-camp of 
M. de la Fayette, and Mr. Lee, who had been a long 
thne in France, a deputy of the congress; they told us 
that on the 9th of July the body of troops which they 
were to send to usand which they called the second 
division had not yet started. Besides this, they gave us 
no very certain news respecting the affairs of Europe. 

On the 19th, I was about two miles from Providence 
with the health officers of the hospital to examine 
some waters which were said to be mineral ; but we 
found nothing in them but a little more coolness than 
in the water which we use every day. This fountain 
is situated in a rural and pretty agreeable spot and 
quite near to a little wood which, by its shape, the 
way in which the trees were situated, their size, etc., 
reminded me of that which is opposite to Les Grullieres} 
To-day the wind blew from the north and we were cold. 
This sudden change from cold to warmth causes colics ; 
my servant Bourdais had a very violent one, a kind 
of cholera-morbus, which made me fear for his life. 

On the 22d, I returned to Newport. I dined mid- 
way at Warren, in a pretty handsome inn. Not far 
from there there was a salt-work which I went to see. 
On the following days we had some councils of ad- 
ministration, which passed off pretty well. 

' A cliateau in the neighborhood of Angers (eoniniime of 
Saint Sylvixin), whieli then beh)nge(I to M. BLaneluml. 



58 

I have given a list of the officers with whom I 
had embarked upon the Conquerant. Here now are 
the principal persons composing our armj^ 

M. the Count de Rochambeau, coinmander-in-chiefj 
lieutenant general. 

The Baron de Viomenil, ~j 

The Count de Viomenil, V major-generals. 

The Chevalier de Chastellux, ) 

The latter discharging the functions of major-gen- 
eral. 

De Beville, quarter-master general. 

Tarle, directing commissary, discharging the func- 
tions of steward. 

Blanchard, chief commissary. 

Corny, couunissary. (We found him in America : 
he set out for France in the early part of February, 
1781.) 

Villemanzy, commissary. 

Gau, commissary of artillery. 

D'Aboville, commandant-in-chief of the artillerj^ 

Nadal, director of the park. 

Lazie, major " " " 

Tucrenet. 



Note from the origiiuil. J)e Clioisy did not arrive until the 
80th of September ; he liad witli liim tlie ]N[essrs. Bertliier, wlio 
entered the staff, (hw of them was afterwards niarechal undei- 
Napoleon. 



59 



Ch^ D'Ogre. 
Caravagne. 
H. Opterre. 
Turpin. 



Coste, chief physician. 
Robillard, chief surgeon. 



Daure, steward of provisions. 

Demars, steward of the hospitals. 

There were also some other stewards for forage, for 
meat, etc ; in general, too many employees, especially 
among the principals ; all that was according to the 
taste of M. Veymeranges, who had arranged the com- 
position of our army as to the administration, an in- 
telligent man, but inclined to expense and luxury and 
whom it was necessary to watch. 

Bouley, treasurer. 

Messrs. de Menonville and the Chevalier de Tarle, 
the brother of the steward, were adjutant generals. 

Messrs. de Beville Jr. and CoUot were quartermaster 
generals. 

M. de Rochambeau's aides-de-camp were Messrs. de 
Ferry, de Damas, Charles Lanieth, Closen, Dumas, 
Lauberdiere and de Vauban. 



60 



M. Cromot-Dubourg who arrived a short time after 
us, was also an aide-de-camp to this general. 

The Messrs. de Viomenil also had several of them, 
among whom were Messrs. de Chabannes, de Pange, d' 
Olonne, etc. 

Those of M. de Chastellux were, Montesquieu (grand- 
son of the president) and Lynch, an Irishman. 

Colonels. 
Regiment of Bourhonnois. 
The Marquis de Laval. 
The Viscount de Rochambeau, in 2d. 

Royal Deux Ponts. 
Messrs. De Deux Ponts, brothers. 

Sahitonge. 
M. Custine. 
The Viscount de Charlus (son of M. de Castries). 

Soissoniiois. 
M. de Saint Mesme. 
The Viscount de Noailles. 

Lauzuits Legion. 
The Duke de Lauzun. 
M. de Dillon. 

It is known that M. de La Fayette was not attached 
to our army, any more than M. Du Portail ; they 
served with the American troops. We had in our 



61 



army two officers who had served among the Ameri- 
cans with distinction, M. Fleury, major of Saintonge, 
and Maudait, adjutant of the artillery. 

On the 29th, a score of savages arrived at Newport; 
part of them were Iroquois. Some others came from 
a village called the Fall of St. Louis (situated in the 
environs of Albany), which is Catholic, as they asked 
to hear mass, on arriving. Among them was a mu- 
latto, who had served with the Americans ; he spoke 
French and they called him Captain Louis. There 
was also a German who had lived among them since 
he was twelve years old. The only clothing which 
these savages had was a blanket in which they wrapped 
themselves ; they had no breeches. Their complexion 
is olive, they have their ears gashed and their faces 
daubed with red. There were some handsome men 
among them and some tall old men of respectable ap- 
pearance. We also remarked two young persons at 
least five feet ten inches high, and one of them with 
a very agreeable physiognomy ; some of them, never- 
theless, were small. These savages, for a long time 
friendly to the French and who, in speaking of the 
king of France, called him our father, complimented 
M. de Rochambeau, who received them very kindly 
and gave them some presents, among other things 
some red blankets which had been greatly recom- 



62 



mended to us at our departure from Brest. He told 
them that many of their neighbors, deceived by the 
English; had made war upon the Americans, who, they 
had told them, were our enemies, that, on the contrary, 
they were our friends and that we came to defend them, 
and that they would pursue a course of conduct agree- 
able to their father if they would act in the same 
way and make war upon the English ; he urged them 
to remember this discourse well and to repeat it to 
their neighbors. They dined that day with him at 
his quarters. I saw them at table for an instant, they 
behaved themselves well there and ate cleanly enough. 
In the afternoon the troops were shown to them, who 
manoeuvred and went through the firing exercise ; 
they showed no surprise, but seemed to be pleased with 
this exhibition. On the next day thej^ dined on board 
of the Due de Bourgogne. In the evening they were 
persuaded to dance ; their singing is monotonous, they 
interrupted it with sharp and disagreeable cries. In 
singing, they beat time with two little bits oi wood. 
In dancing, they content themselves with bending the 
hams without taking any steps; there is no jumping, 
no springing; they reminded me of those peasants in 
my province when they tread the grapes in the wine- 
press ; the movement which they then make resem- 
bles the dance of these savages. They went away on 



63 

the second of September, Some other tribes of Catholic 
savages had asi^ed us for a })riest ; we sent them a 
Capuchin who was chapUiin of one of the vessels. 

September, 1780. We perceived after the early part 
of this month that the heat had considerably abated. 
I caused a fire to be lit on the second of September, 
in the evening, and I was not the onl}^ one ; we began 
to have fogs and heavy rains. On the 6th, the Vis- 
count de Noailles and M. de Dillon fought ; the cause 
of the quarrel does not deserve to be mentioned. 

On the 7th, I dined on board of the Conquerant, 
where I had not appeared since our arrival ; I was 
very kindly received there. 

On the 8th, there was a very great rain in the 
morning; in the afternoon the weather improved. 
We then had about five hundred sick, and among 
them a great number attacked by dysentery, this 
disease has been prevalent tor fifteen days without 
appearing to be dangerous. 

From the 9th, to the 11th, fine weather, and even 
warm. On the 11th, there was a council of adminis- 
tration. The tone which prevailed at it was not 
pleasant. I preserved profound silence at it. 

On the 12th, I was at Providence with M. Corte, 
the chief physician ; it was cloudj' and we had rain. 
In the afternoon, we observed a plant which is very 



(54 



common in the country. The botanists call it Race- 
mns Americana ; in France, it is found only in the 
gardens of ihe botanists. We saw no other peculiar 
plant anywhere else, but much wild chickory and 
sorrel thorn. 

I found our hospital at Providence in very good 
order ; we had then 340 sick there, and we had a few 
more than 200 at Newport, which made the sick 
amount to a tenth part of the army. 

On the 13th, it was warm in the morning, but there 
was rain in the evenino- and during the nioht. To- 
day I walked much through the city ; I especially 
visited the temple which is pretty large, although 
built of wood; it is very clean, i also ascended the 
steeple, which, like all of them in America, is over- 
loaded with carvings and ornaments, painted with 
different colors ; it is likewise entirely of wood. 

On the 14tli, we had rain until nine in the morn- 
ing ; the remainder of the day was clear. I profited 
by it to walk alone in the woods and upon the hills 
with which the city of Providence is surrounded ; 
these solitary walks have always been agreeable to me. 

On the 15th, rain in the morning, fine weather in 
the afternoon.^ 



' T often inuke these remarks :il)()ut tlie weatlier, tlie raiu, the 
heat and the eold, whicli wserve to make theelimate ot" a countrv 



65 

This same day, the 15th, I was invited to a party 
in the country to which I went. It was a sort of 
pic-nic given by a score of men to a company of 
ladies. The purpose of this party was to eat a turtle, 
weighing three or four hundred pounds, which an 
American vessel had just brought from one of our 
islands. This meat did not seem to me to be very 
palatable ; it is true that it was badly cooked. There 
were some quite handsome women ; before dinner 
they kept themselves in a different room from the men, 
they also placed themselves at table all on the same 
side, and the men, on the other. They danced after 
dinner to the music of some instruments of Lauzun's 
legion, which had been brought there expressly. 
Neither the men nor the women dance well ; all stretch 
out and lengthen their arms in a way far from agreeable. 
I found myself at table very near a captain of an 
American frigate, whom I had seen at Nantes. I per- 
ceived to-day whilst trying to converse with the ladies, 
that I still was very little accustomed to the English 
language. During dinner we drank different healths, 

known. Sinct' my ivtuin to France liaving seen some per- 
sons who Avished to proceed to America, I luive communicated 
these notes to tliem, and thej^ have told me that tliey have de- 
rived more ])roiit from tliem tlian from Aa<>iie descriptions often 
embellished or exaggei-ated. 
9 



66 



as is usual, we to those of the Americans, and they 
to the health of the king of France. This extended 
to everybody ; for on passing through an anteroom, 
where some negro servants were drhiking, I heard 
them drinking together the health of the king of 
France. 

On the 18th, M. de Rochambeau and the Chevalier 
de Ternay started for Hartford, in Connecticut, whither 
General Washington was to repair on his side for the 
purpose of concerting together, for it was time for them 
to think of making some use of our troops, who had 
required some indulgence on their arrival but ought 
not to remain useless forever. 

On the 19th, we learnt that Admiral Rodney, who 
had been for a long time in the West Indies, had just 
appeared upon the coasts of America. This news sur- 
prised us and nuide us uneasy. We did not know 
whether he was followed by M. de Guichen, who had 
been a long while at sea. Rodney joined to Arbuthnot, 
ought to have about 24 vessels, most of them of three 
decks, and, consequently, he had a force greatly su- 
perior to ours. However, they prepared, as well on 
the part of the navy as of the land forces, to repel the 
enemy. That day we had a council of administration 
at the quarters of M. the Baron de Yiomenil, which 
went off very well. 



67 

On the 20th and 21st, they continued to make ar- 
rangements for putting themselves in a state of defense. 
I went over the island to ascertain if there were not 
some pieces of ground suitable for pastures for the 
horses, for whom we feared that we should be in want 
of forage ; I continued my search on the 22d, Saint 
Maurice's day (the patron of the Cathedral of Angers) . 

On the 23d our preparations for defense in case of 
attack were continued with success ; and the longer 
the English delayed, the more difficult the attack be- 
came for them. It was fine weather and even very 
warm. 

On the 24th, our military and naval generals arrived. 
They had had an interview with General Washington, 
from whom they returned enchanted : an easy and 
noble bearing, extensive and correct views, the art of 
making himself beloved, these are what all who saw 
him observed in him. It is his merit which has de- 
fended the liberty of America, and if she enjoys it one 
day, it is to him alone that she will be indebted for it.^ 

Nothing new until the 30th. This day, the frigate 
La GentiUe, coming from the cape, arrived at New- 

I "1 wrote tliis in 17S(). Tlie event lias shown how i-iti-lit I was ; 
It is to Mr. Washington's eonrage, to his h)ve for liis conntry 
and to his jtrudence that the Americans owe tlieir snccess. He 
lias never l)een inconsistent, never discouraged. Amidst suc- 
cess as amidst reverses, lie was always calm, always the same ; 



68 



port; it brought M. de Choisy and some other officers 
appointed to our army ; they had left France on the 
25th of June on a frigate which proceeded to Cape 
Saint Domingo, where they reembarked for Newport. 
They informed us that Monsieur de Guichen had re- 
turned to Europe with a considerable convoy, and that 
he had left Monsieur de Guichen ^ with only ten ves- 
sels. 

On the same day we learnt the infamous plot and 
treason of Arnold, an American general. It was dis- 
covered because M. Andre, major-general of Clinton's 
army, with whom Arnold was in correspondence and 
who had come to the American arm}', was captured. Ar- 
nold, who knew it, immediately went to New York; 
his project was to deliver West Point, an important 
post upon the North river, and the loss of which 
would have interruj^ted the communication between 
the northern provinces and those of the south. Up to 
this time this Arnold had behaved like a hero, and had 
made a body of 6000 Englishmen lay down their arms. 
October, 1780. On the 1st of October, M. de La 
Luzerne, the minister plenipotentiary of France to 



and his personal qualities have done more to kee]) soldiers in tlie 
American army and to procure partisans to tlie cause of liberty 
than the decrees of the congress." — N'otc fr<»ii the MS. 

' This re]ietition of the name a])pears to V)e a slip of the pen. 



69 



Philadelphia, arrived at Newport to see M. de Ro- 
chambeau ; he had stopped at General Washington's 
camp, with whom he might have been captured, if 
the plot which I have just mentioned had not been 
discovered ; in the evening there was a council of ad- 
ministration at which M. de La Luzerne was present. 

On the "2(\, there was a feint of a descent; it was 
very fine^weather, even warm, although the mornings 
and evenings were cold, sufficiently so to require a 
fire. I had not until this day some letters from 
France, brought for me by the frigate La Gentille. It 
is the first time in five months that I had news of my 
family, having started on the second of May. My 
brother informed me of the death of my nephew Ro- 
main, ^ a naval guard, who had gone to sea. I great- 
ly regretted this young man, of a fine figure, and who 
gave promise of talents. 

I also learnt that a vessel, fitted out at Brest by M. 
Gaudelet, laden with provisions and merchandise, 
which could have been disposed of to the advantage 
of our army, had arrived at the cape (Saint Domingo), 
and, for want of an escort, was unable to reach 
Newport ; it is a pity, the merchandise would have 
brought three hundred per cent. 

' The Count <le Koiiiaiii, tlie l)r()tlier of tliis young man, was 
a I'ellow-.student of Xapoleon at La Fere. 



70 

On the 3d. I again received letters which had been 
left on board of the frigate and forgotten. One of 
them was from my wife, dated the 7th of May, written 
only five days after our departure. It gave me plea- 
sure none the less. 

On the 4 til and 5th, cold, wind and rain. 

On the 7th, another pretended attack, when the 
American troops plaj^ed their part and manoeuvred 
very well. Ice was seen for the first time. In the 
evening a kind of tempest occasioned damage to the 
merchantmen in port and overturned a large number 
of tents in camp. 

On the 8th, M. de Tarle, with whom I was living, 
gave a dinner to M. de La Luzerne and the generals. 

Nothing remarkable on the subsequent days. 

We learnt that Andre, that English officer, who had 
dissruised himself to communicate with the traitor, 
Arnold, and who had been captured by the Americans, 
had been put to death, General Washington having 
treated him as a spy. 

On the 14th, M. Holker, the consul of France at 
Philadelphia, a man of inteUigence and great ability, 
arrived at Newport. A council of administration was 
held, in which it was resolved that I should proceed 
to Providence, to try to procure wood for the army, 
which began to be in want of it. There was none 



71 



upon the island of Rhode Island, where the English, 
who had occupied it for some time, had destroyed all. 
On the 15th, I started for Providence, as had been 
ordered, but having commenced my journey late, I lay 
at Warren and did not reach Providence until the 
next day. I was at Patuxet on the same day, a vil- 
lage a league from Providence. Then I went through 
a neighboring forest, where there were some portions 
of wood for cutting, which they proposed to us to have 
cut. This forest was pleasant ; not very far from the 
place where they proposed to us to cut is a pond 
which reminded me of a similar site in the vicinity of 
Nantes. On the 17th, I returned to the forest ; it 
was very cold, with a clear sky and sunshine. During 
the succeeding days I continued to be employed about 
my cutting, and I succeeded in making a bargain with 
Mr. Harris, the owner of these woods. I attended 
also to the means of collecting forage, which was not 
easy at that season. They set about it too late. Be- 
sides, the Americans are slow and do not decide 
promptly in matters of business. It is not easy for us 
to rely upon their promises. They love money and 
hard money ; it is thus that the}-' designate specie to 
distinguish it from paper money, which loses prodi- 
giously. This loss varies according to circumstances 
and according to the provinces. Whilst I am writing, 



72 

at Providence and Newport itloses sixty for one ; that is 
to say, a silver piaster is worth sixty paper piasters. 
Bills of exchange upon France, even that of the trea- 
surer of the army upon the treasurer-general at Paris, 
lose 25 per cent at Philadelphia, as well as at Boston, 
owing to the scarcity of silver. The Americans at 
present owe much money in France, and they ought 
easily to find bills of exchange to pay it.^ I speak of 
this paper money because we were beginning to make 
use of it in our army to pay some daily expenses, but 
only to the people of the country ; we should have 
begun with it to spare our ready money, with which, 
unfortunately, our chest was not well supplied. 

We were unable to make use of this paper money 
long, because it fell completely, and no human power 
could have been able to raise it again. 

On the 20tli and 21st, alternations of cold and heat. 
At present, there are not more than three hundred 
sick, many of whom are suffering from the remains of 
the scurvy. I have also mentioned the dysenteries 
which began to prevail a month ago, but they have 
not proved fatal. I cannot avoid remarking that this 
disease, which made so much havoc in France in 1779, 
and especially in Brittany and Normandy, was equally 

' Thoy were not llieii in a eoudition to pay, or else they did 
not care about it. 



73 

fatal in this part of America in which we are dwelling ; 
it is singular enough that an epidemical complaint 
should be prevalent at the same time in places so dis- 
tant and separated by the sea. 

On the 2"^d and 23d, fine weather. Three good 
English prizes, captured by an American privateer. 
The news was then circulated of the capture of Jamaica 
and of a considerable fleet belonging to the English 
and on its way to the Indies. 

On the 24th, I took into the forest where I had 
bought wood, fifty soldiers who had been sent to me 
lo cut it. The next day I went to see them atw^ork; 
this business interested me. I love the woods. I was, 
in some sort, alone, far from the world. I mounted a 
horse and led the life of a man upon his estate. 

On the 26th, I again returiied to see my laborers, 
in the most beautiful w^eather. Mr. Harris, whom I 
met, sliowed me an orchard, in which he said that his 
father had been killed by the savages, which proves 
that it was not a great while ago w4ien they were in 
these districts. Patuxet and Papisquash, villages and 
hamlets of which I have spoken, are Indian names 
that have been preserved. 

On the 27th, in the morning, a thick fog, which 
dissipated at the moment of an eclipse of the sun. 
lu 



74 



At 11 o'clock it was very visible, and between noon 
and one o'clock it was considerable enough to darken 
the air. It seemed to me that it also became night 
some minutes after sunset. M. de Gachain, major of 
the squadron, took advantage of this eclipse to make 
some observations upon the latitude and the longitude 
of the coasts of Rhode Island. He sent them to the 
Academy of Philadelphia ; he also observes that these 
points are exactly marked upon the map. Upon con- 
sulting an American almanac which mentioned this 
eclipse, I happened to cast my eyes upon the list of 
the princes of Europe. I read of Louis XVI, " Whom 
God preserve ;" the same invocation upon the king of 
Spain ; but respecting the king of England, " the san- 
guinary tyrant " and some words besides, the meaning 
of which is, born to dismember the British empire 
and make America independent. 

I returned to Newport on the 28th ; I learnt that 
our three frigates were gone. TheAmazoue returned to 
France. It had M. de Rocham beau's son on board 
and carried our letters. 

November, 1780. On the first, rain, wind and snow. 
The regiment of Bourbonnois had left the camp the 
night before and had come to take up its quarters in the 
city ; the other regiments came thither in succession, 
that is to say, they took up their winter quarters, and 



75 

it appeared settled that our troops would make no 
movement before the spring. 

From the 2d to the 6th, I remained at Providence, 
in cold weather ; but the sun shone and I did not 
cease to ride on horseback and go to see my laborers 
in the wood. I also had much to do for Lauzun's 
legion, which was to proceed to Connecticut to take 
up its winter quarters, and which passed through 
Providence. All these details, elsewhere very easy, 
nevertheless met with many difficulties among the 
Americans, who dislike to lodge troops and who, as I 
have already mentioned, are slow and even mistrustful. 

For some days past mention was made of an advan- 
tage gained over the English in Carolina, by General 
Smallwood ; it was said that he had captured about 
1600 men. 

On the 9th, much snow fell and it was very cold, as 
was the next day. Lauzun's legion arrived at Provi- 
dence to-day; it found everything that it needed. 
The Duke de Lauzun gave a ball, at which T was 
present for a moment. 

On the 1 1 th, the legion remained, the cold continued, 
but it was fine weather and the sun shone. I dined 
with M. de Lauzun. 

On the 12th, the legion departed. The Chevalier 
de Chastellux arrived in the morning ; he was on his 



76 



way to General Washington's camp and thence to 
Philadelphia. I gave him a dinner and we paid some 
visits together. In conversing with him respecting the 
steward, whom he did not like and of whom he spoke 
ill to me, I remarked to him how disagreeable it was 
to our cloth and especially to me to have so mediocre 
an administrator for chief. He replied to me that 
when one was more than thirty, it was better for him 
to be the assistant of a fool than of a man of sense. 
He departed the next day. The ground was covered 
with snow. 

On the 14th, a great rain. The loth, clear and 
cold : it is said that the traitor Arnold hns landed in 
Virginia with five thousand men. 

On the 16th, fog and rain. M. Beaudouin, a lieuten- 
ant-colonel of Lauzun's legion, passed through Provi- 
dence to go to and embark at Boston and return to 
France. I gave him some letters. 1 go regularly 
every day to the forest where they are busy about the 
wood. 

On the 17th, cloudy weather, rain and very violent 
wind from the north-east. 

On the 18th the same weather. Messrs. de Laval, 
de Custine and De Deux Ponts, who were going to 
travel in the interior of America, passed through 
Providence. 



77 



On the 20th and 21st, clear and cold. It is to be 
observed that usually after one or two days of dry 
cold, snow and rain follow. The same alternation in 
the succeeding days. 

I already had much wood cut and corded ; but it 
was necessary to transport it to the seaboard, where 
the vessels of the squadron had just come in search of 
it. For that purpose, I hired vehicles, but I had great 
difficulty in starting them. On the 22d I could not 
procure a single one on account of the rain ; another 
time it was the cold which prevented their going. 
Patience and care are necessary. 

On the 23d, in tolerably fine weather, I was three 
or four leagues from Providence, and I saw large tracts 
of country newly cleared and many houses recently 
built. This district will grow rich and become peopled 
gradually. I dined at Patuxet in the house of M. 
Dourville, a Canadian and a lieutenant in the Ame- 
rican navy. He had married in this village where he 
was held in esteem ; he was of great use to me for the 
wood-cutting which was entrusted to me. He had 
been employed upon the squadron of M. d'Estaing, and 
M. de Ternay had also employed him on his vessel. 

On the 24th, it was still pretty fine and I mounted 
my horse according to my usual practice. I dined at 
Providence with Dr. Bowen, a physician and a re- 



78 

spectable old man. He said grace before sitting down 
to table ; he seemed beloved and respected by his 
numerous family and had the style and manners of a 
patriarch. I also dined frequently at the house of 
Mr. Bowker, a merchant, born in England, but for a 
long time settled in America. They do not eat soups 
and do not serve up ragouts at these dinners ; but 
boiled and roast and mucli vegetables. They drink 
nothing but cider and Madeira wine with water. The 
dessert is composed of preserved quinces or pickled 
sorrel. The Americans eat the latter with the meat. 
They do not take coffee immediately after dinner, but 
it is served three or four hours afterwards with tea ; 
this coffee is weak and four or five cups are not equal 
to one of ours ; so that they take many of them. The 
tea, on the contrary, is very strong. This use of tea 
and coffee is universal in America. The people who 
live in the country, tilling the ground and driving 
their oxen, take it as well as the inhabitants of the 
cities. Breakfast is an importn.nt affair with them. 
Besides tea and coffee, they put on table roasted meats 
with butter, pies and ham ; nevertheless they sup and 
in the afternoon they again take tea. Thus the Ame- 
ricans are almost always at the table ; and as they 
have little to occupy them, as they go out little in 
winter and spend whole days along side of their fires 



79 

and their wives, without reading and without doing 
anything, going so often to table is a relief and a pre- 
ventive oi ennui. Yet they are not great eaters. 

Tliey are very choice in cups and vases for holding 
tea and coffee, in glasses, decanters and other matters 
of this kind and in habitual use. They make use of 
wall-papers which serve for tapestry ; they have them 
very handsome. In many of the houses there are 
carpets also, even upon their stairs. // In general, the 
houses are very pleasant and kept with extreme neat- 
ness, with the mechanic and the countryman as well 
as with the merchant and the general. Their educa- 
tion is very nearly the same ; so that a mechanic is 
often called to their assemblies, where there is no dis- 
tinction, no separate order. I have already mentioned 
that the inhabitants of the entire country are proprie- 
tors. They till the earth and drive their oxen them- 
selves. This way of living and this sweet equality 
have charms for thinking beings. These manners 
suit me pretty well. Burning a great quantity of 
wood is one of their luxuries, it is common . One-half 
of the districts which I have traversed are wooded, 
almost altogether with oaks, among which there are 
some very handsome ones. Yet wood is very dear 
owing to the difficulty of transporting it.fi It costs us 
for a leao-ue about 15 livres a cord. 



80 



I have spoken of the cups, the glasses, the paper- 
hangings, the carpets and other articles in which the 
Americans are very choice, and which they procured 
from Enghind before the war. It is in this direction 
that French merchants ought to turn their attention 
by trying to bring these articles to perfection, in order 
to accustom the Americans to dispense with the En- 
glish entirely. 

On the 24th and 25th, rain and very violent west 
wind ; the 26th to the 28th, cold and clear weather. 
I took advantage of it to go to Greenwich, a small 
town upon the coast, five leagues from Providence, 
Thence I proceeded to Coventry, two leagues from 
Greenwich. General Greene's residence is there. He 
is a farmer whose merit has raised him to the rank of 
general. He was then with the army and possessed 
the confidence of General Washington ; he has even 
been commander-in-chief of a body of troops in the 
south ; one of his brothers, an inhabitant of the country, 
had furnished the wagons for transporting the wood 
which 1 had caused to be cut, and he drove them him- 
self: such are the manners of this part of America! 
My object was to pay. a visit to the wife of General 
Greene, whom I happened to see at Newport and Pro- 
vidence. I was accompanied by M. Haake, a captain 
in the regiment of Royal Deux Ponts, and the chaplain 



81 



of the hospital. Mrs. Greene received us very kindly. 
She is amiable, genteel and rather pretty. As there 
was no bread in her house, some was hastily made ; 
it was of meal and water mixed together ; which was 
then toasted at the fire; small slices of it were served 
up to us. It is not much for a Frenchman. As for 
the Americans, they eat very little bread. Besides, 
the dinner was long ; we remained to sleep there. 
Mrs. Greene's house is situated upon a barren piece of 
land ; this site could have been chosen only on account 
of the iron-works situated in the neighborhood. There 
is not a single fruit-tree, not even a cabbage. Another 
country-house is pretty near, inhabited by two ladies, 
who compose all the society that Mrs. Greene has ; in 
the evening she invited them to her house, and we 
danced ; I was in boots and rather tired ; besides, the 
English dances are complicated, so that I acquitted 
myself badly. But these ladies were complaisant. 

On the 29th and the 30th, I continued my trans- 
portation of wood, notwithstanding the rain. 

December, 1780. The month opened with a very 
violent and very cold north wind. 

On the 3d, snow ; my friend M. de la Chese, an 

officer of artillery, had come to Providence. We 

mounted on horsebacK together and went to dine at 

Patuxet at the house of a miller's wife, whose dress, 

11 



82 

style of living and furniture differed in no respect 
from the best that I had seen in the houses of the 
richest Americans. 

On the 4th, M. de Eochambeau, who had been to 
Lebanon, in Connecticut, to visit the quarters of Lau- 
zun's legion, passed through Providence ; he lodged 
there. I gave him an account of my works which he 
could not visit. He departed on the 5th, in the morn- 
ing. I had to make some bargains for the artillery 
and the navy ; to the latter I had already sent some 
pieces suitable for building. On this head I remark 
that a species of oak is found in America which was 
very common in France and which is found there no 
longer, at least in the provinces with which I am ac- 
quainted ; it is the white oak, mentioned by M. 
Buffon. This white oak was used in our old carpenter 
works, for which the chestnut has since been used. 

From the 6th to the 12th alternations of cold, snow 
and rain. I do not neglect my work in the woods or 
in the hospital, which, being remote from the army, 
requires this supervision. Lastly, one hundred and 
twenty soldiers, of different regiments, led only by an 
adjutant and scattered through the woods for my 
labors, equally demand my whole attention. 

On the 14th I went to Newport by sea in an Ame- 
rican vessel which was struck by a gale of wind and 



88 

was nearly upset ; we were laden with wood, even 
upon deck. The cold was very severe. M. the 
Chevalier de Ternay, the commander-in-chief of the 
squadron, had been sick for several days and had just 
been taken on shore ; M. Corte, our chief physician, 
had been sent for, who told us that he found him very 
ill. 

On the ISth, M. de Ternay fell a victim to his dis- 
ease; it was putrid fever. M. de Rochambeau was 
not then at Newport; he had gone to Boston. 

On the 16th, fine weather. M. de Ternay was buried 
with great pomp ; all the land forces were under arms. 

I returned to Providence on the 17th. The same 
employments until the 24th ; I learnt that several of 
our men had received letters by a vessel which had 
arrived at Boston from Nantes. These letters men- 
tioned reports of a change of the minister of the navy 
(Monsieur de Sartine). 

The 25th, Christmas-day. Fog in the morning, rain 
in the evening. These observations upon the weather 
prove that dry cold or rain does not last more than 
two or three days. They have not here those long 
spells of cold weather with which we are so often 
afflicted in some provinces of France. Yet I hear it 
said that, last year, at the same period, the sea was 
frozen from Newport to Providence, that is to say for 



84 

a distance of ten leagues, and as broad as the Loire 
above Nantes. On this day we had lightning and a 
little thunder. 

On the 27th, the sea began to freeze in the channel 
from Providence to Newport, and it would have done 
so entirely but for the violence of the wind, which 
agitated the water. It was Saint John's day, a great 
festival for the free-masons. There was a meeting of 
them at Providence ; it was announced in the public 
papers, for societies of this sort are authorized.' I met 
in the streets of Providence a company of these free- 
masons, going two b}' two, holding each other s hands, 
all dressed with their aprons and preceded by two men 
who carried long staves. He who brought up the rear 
and who was probably the master had two brethren 
alongside of him and all three wore ribbons around 
their necks like ecclesiastics who have the blue ribbon. 

On the 28th, the Count de Vioinenil and the Vis- 
count Mesme came to lodge at Providence, and set 
out the next morning for Boston. Our army remain- 
ing inactive, they take advantage of it to travel and 
become acquainted with the country. 

On the 31st I finished the cutting of my wood. My 



' " Authorized I This note is truly Frencli. Why authorize<l ? 
These societies, from that time were simply free in America. 
With us they are still only authorized.''' — F'roni flie 3IS. 



85 



bargain was for two thousand cords. I was very busy 
during these last days of the year. I paid the soldiers 
who had worked under me, and supplied them with 
the means of returning to Newport. Yet I kept some 
of them for another cutting of wood which I was about 
to undertake. 

January^ 1781. It was clear, the wind was from 
the south-west, the same weather continued on the 
subsequent days. At this period there was a very 
warm quarrel at Boston between the sailors of an 
' American frigate, the Alliance, and those of the Sur- 
veillante, a French frigate. The Americans were the 
aggressors ; two were killed. The two sailors who 
were killed were discovered to be Englishmen, in the 
American service, which aided in appeasing the quar- 
rel. 

On the 5th, I made two new bargains for wood. 

On the 6th, Twelfth Night, [jour des Eois] the 
Americans had no rejoicing, no festivity. 

On the 7tli, melted snow and rain ; on the 8th, 
wind from the north and sudden cold, very sharp. 1 
saw the Chevalier de Chastellux, who was returning 
from his journey, with which he appeared satisfied. 
He told me that the Academy of Philadelphia had 
chosen him an associate member; that he had col- 
lected some notes respecting the American revolution, 



86 

that be would not content himself with mere observa- 
tions, and that he would publish a complete work.^ 

From the 10th to the 20th changeable weather. 
Monsieur de Rochambeau had caused a large hall to 
be constructed for the purpose of assembling a large 
number of officers therein in the evening, to afford 
them recreation ; they began to frequent it about this 
time. 

On the 23d, the revolt of a body of American troops 
in Pennsylvania was spoken of; on the 26th, M. de 
Rochambeau received a letter from General Washing- 
ton which informed him of the quieting of this rebel- 
lion. 

On the 28th, at Providence, where I still was, T saw 
General Knox, who commanded the American artillery 
and who had acquired reputation. He was a printer 
and bookseller. He is a man of from thirty-five to 
forty years of age, of a very handsome figure ; he spent 
two days at Newport. 

General Lincoln also came to see our troops ; he had 
with him Mr. Laurens, the son of a president of the 

' '•'• I i\o not perceive that he hajs kept his promise. He lias 
had the aeeount of his journey printed in two volumes, and some 
agreeable details are to be found in it, but many trifling matters, 
mediocre 2)leasantries and eulogiums, often but little deserved, 
of persons who had flattered him. Brissot de Warville has 
sharply criticised this work." — Note from MS^. 



87 

congress, who had been captured by the English whilst 
on his way to Europe, and was still detained in the 
Tower of London. I supped, next day, with them and 
General Greene's wife, of whom I have spoken above. 

Fehruary, 1781. M. de Corny, the commissary, was 
preparing to depart for France, on board of the Alli- 
ance, an American frigate which also took Mr. Lau- 
rens to Europe. I forwarded many letters to M. de 
Corny, especially for M. de Veymeranges and for my 
relation M. de Saint-James, the treasurer-general of 
the navy. This M. de Corny, a man of intelligence, 
but intriguing and greedy, was going away because 
there was nothing for him to do. Nevertheless, his 
stay in America, short as it has been, has not impaired 
his fortune. 

On the 2d, Messrs. de Laval and de Custine returned 
from a long journey which they had taken in the in- 
terior of America. They confirmed the news which 
had been spread that the CuUoden, an English ship of 
94 guns, had been cast upon the coast by a violent 
gale of wind and had been lost. Two other English 
ships had been dismasted and damaged, so that, at 
this moment, the English squadron was reduced to six 
ships, 

Fehruartj. On the 3d, I gave a dinner to Mrs. Greene 
and to Mrs. Carter, and also to Messrs, de Viomenil 



88 



and Chastellux. For some days past I no longer 
boarded with the steward, and I had procured a cook. 
I then kept house, at our joint expense, with M, de 
la Cheze, an officer of artillery, a gentleman, a deep 
gamester, |( skillful and successful gameotcr , and also 
generous and enjoying life. 

We now have snow and hail nearly every day. 

On the 6th, I went to Providence and on horseback, 
although the roads were very slippery owing to the 
snow which the cold had condensed. So we met 
many sleighs, in which people were going on parties 
of pleasure or on business. 

On the 7th, M. de Jumecourt, an officer of artillery, 
and M. Pisangon, my secretary, both very zealous free- 
masons, conferred on me the grade of apprentice, and 
in the evening I was at an American lodge where I 
was present at two receptions. I was then nearly 39 
years old. This was beginning rather late. 

From the 8th to the 13th, snow and cold; on the 
13th I got into a sleigh and went twelve miles in this 
conveyance, which is easy and very pleasant. They 
go very quickly. I returned from Patuxet to Provi- 
dence (five miles) in 30 minutes. I dined at the house of 
Mr. Flint, an American, where I learnt much news : 
that the Eveille, a ship of our squadron, had just gone, 
with two frigates and the cutter, upon a special ex- 



89 

pedition ; that an American regiment of New Jersey 
had imitated this revolt of the Pennsylvania troops, 
but that the sedition had been quickly suppressed ; two 
of the principal leaders had been put to death. 

On the 18th„ being at Newport, M. de Custine who, 
as I have mentioned, had just returned from traveling 
in the interior of America, showed me his journal and 
the results of his observations. This journal seemed 
to me to be very wise and judicious. 

He agreed, as I have remarked, that the virtues of 
General Washington hade-been the strongest support 
of liberty. He hal^ found the country moderately 
fertile, a point of vi|t respecting which I questioned 
him : what I have s%n of it makes me think the 
same ; in the vicinity of our army none is found fer- 
tile except upon the banks of a river which waters 
Connecticut, from which we derive the greater part of 
our supplies of provisions. 

On the 19th, we learnt that the English had been 
defeated by General Morgan in South Carolina. The 
Americans had behaved very well in this affair, in 
which they had charged with fixed bayonets. The 
account which the American general gave of this bat- 
tle was very well done. The English had one thou- 
sand men, of regular troops, two hundred of whom 
were dragoons. The Americans had only eight hun- 
12 



LoLo*- 



90 

dred. We cannot conceive how regular troops and 
they superior in numbers allowed themselves to be 
beaten by peasants ; they were utterly routed ; the 
Americans took 29 officers and 500 soldiers prisoners, 
they captured ihe baggage and a large number of 
horses, two cannons and two tiags. Although this 
news reaches us by an extraordinary courier, we do 
not receive it until a month after the event. 

On the 24th, during a very strong wind, we per- 
ceived four large vessels pretty near to the shore. 
These vessels came in at eight o'clock. They were 
the Eveille, which went out a few days before, and 
the two frigates ; they brought with them the Eonnchis, 
an English ship of fifty guns, wdiich they had captured 
in Chesapeake bay. They had also taken nine pri- 
vateers and other small vessels, which they had burnt 
or left at York, a little port belonging to the Ameri- 
cans. But they had been unable to rejoin Arnold, on 
board of some vessels which had withdrawn towards 
the coasts of Virginia into some rivers which the 
Eveille could not enter. 

On the 24th, in consequence, I believe, of intelli- 
gence furnished by General Washington, orders were 
given to the grenadiers and chasseurs to hold them- 
selves in readiness to start. This order was counter- 
manded the next day, but I learnt that an expedition 



91 

was in preparation, of which I was to form part, and I 
had to busy myself about it all the subsequent days. 

We learnt on the 27th that the Astr6e, a French 
frigite of forty guns, commanded by M. de la Perouse/ 
had just arrived at Boston after a passage of 03 days, 
having left Brest on the 24th of December. During 
the evening of the 28th, we received letters brought 
by this vessel. I received good news from my wife, 
my children and all my friends ; it is not without 
trembling that I open their letters at this distance. 
M. de Montbarrey (minister of war) was succeeded 
by M. de Segur. Besides, there was, I was informed, 
an infinite amount of intrigue at the court. 



^ The well known navigator. 






92 



CHAPTER III. 

Arrival of General ^\^as}iinf/t<>n at Neicport — Einharkatlon of 
a Body of Troops on hoard of the Squadron — j\J. JJ/anch- 
ard is Part of it — jVav(d J^n(/ai/e)/U'rit iu Chesffpeake Bay — 
The Array commences its March to form a Junction icith 
the Americans — 31. Blanchard p>recedes it — He ^x/sses 
through Providence, Wctterman- Tavern, Plainfield, IVind- 
hain, Bolton, Hartford, Farniington, Baron- Tavern, Break- 
neck, Newtoiiyn, Peekskill- Landing — Sojourn at General 
Washington's Camj) at Peekskill — March of the Two 
Armies against N^eiP Yo7'k — Camps of ISforthcastle and 
Phillipshurg — Character of General de Bocharnbeau — The 
S(p(adron of 31. de Grasse is anitounced — the tioo Armies 
move to support it. 

31arch, 1781. From the 1st to the 4th, arrangements 
continued to be made for the proposed embarkation, 
which was postponed, notwithstanding. 

On the 4th, a captain of the regiment of Saintonge, 
named Laforest, held in esteem in his corps, to whom 
M. de Custine had addressed some language for which 
he had in vain demanded justice, killed himself in 
despair. This event, which was known a moment be- 
fore the parade, created great excitement there. M. 
de Custine was insulted there ; and, if it had not been 
for the presence of some superior officers, worse would 
have befallen him. 



93 



On the 5th, cold and a high wind in the morning. 
Rain in the evening. The order was given for 1000 
men of the infantry and 1500 of the artillery to em- 
bark the next day, which took place on the 6th. 

This day General Washington, who was expected, 
arrived about two o'clock. He first went to the Due 
de Bourgogne, where all our generals were. He then 
landed ; all the troops were under arms ; I was pre- 
sented to him. His face is handsome, noble and mild. 
He is tall (at the least, five feet, eight inches).^ In 
the evening, I was at supper with him. I mark, as a 
fortunate day, that in which I have been able to be- 
hold a man so truly great. 

On the 7 th, I repaired on board the Due de Bourgogne, 
a ship of 80 guns, commanded by M, Destouches, who 
had command of this squadron. M. de Viomenil, had 
embarked thereon with several officers of the grenadier 
company of Bourbon nois ; the other troops, making a 
total of 1120 men, were distributed among the other 
ships of war and the Fantasque armed en flute ; we 
also had two frigates and the Romulus, captured from 
the Englisli a short time ago, and which had been 
brought into the line. The wind being favorable on 
the 8th, M. Destouches gave the signal for raising the 
anchor. Several vessels were already under sail, 

' French feet and inches. 



94 



when the Fantasque, commanded by an auxiliarj^ 
officer, made a bad manoeuvre and ran aground ; for- 
tunately after some shallops were sent to it, it was got 
off and was found to be free from damage ; but our 
departure was delayed by it for six hours, and we were 
unable to leave the narrow entrance to the harbor 
until six o'clock in the evening. The wind kept up 
until noon the next day : we had made 24 leagues. 
We steered towards Delaware bay to attack Arnold, 
who was ravasrino- Virorinia. 

On the 11th we were 70 leagues from Cape Henry ; 
the wind, favorable up to that time, became variable 
during the whole night, and next day we found our- 
selves separated from part of our vessels. We had 
with us only the Neptune, the Eveille and the Sur- 
veillante. This separation was alarming ; for thus 
each of our divisions was very inferior to the English. 
We fired some volleys to find our comrades, but in 
vain ; unfortunately it was foggy ; at noon we had 
made only 14 leagues, and we found ourselves as far 
from the Chesapeake bay as on the preceding evening. 
At night, the wind became favorable, but strong. All 
night we had very bad weather. On the 13th, at 
noon, we had made 28 leagues, and were not more 
than 40 leagues from the bay. 

On the 14 th, at eight o'clock in the morning, we 



95 

saw land ; it was Cape Henry ; this shore is low, so 
that we were pretty near to it. We put about ; soon 
afterwards a sail was signaled, then some others, which 
comjjels us to clear the decks for action. In the 
meanwhile we made signals of recognition and soon 
recognized the five vessels and the frigate from which 
we had been separated and which soon rejoined us to 
the great satisfaction of all. On the next day, the 
15th, we tacked about to keep ourselves off the Chesa- 
peake bay ; we were in latitude 27° 34' and in longi- 
tude 77° 53'. 

On the 16th, at 6 o'clock in the morning, a sail was 
signaled which was perceived to be a frigate. Other 
vessels were soon discovered. Decks were cleared 
throughout our whole squadron. At 9 o'clock the 
English squadron was perfectly well distinguished, 
which formed a line after different manoeuvres. 

The English had eight ships, one of which was of 
three decks ; they also had three frigates. We also 
had eight ships, but inferior to those of the English, 
for we had no ship of three decks, and we had brought 
the Romulus into line, which had only fifty guns. 
The English had also one of this force, but it was in 
the rank of the frigates ; finally, we wanted one of 
our frigates, the Surveillante, detached the evening 
before for exploring. M. Destouches's intention was 



96 



to avoid an engagement ; but perceiving that the En- 
glish were gaining on us considerably, he tacked about 
and went at them. We began the engagement 
at 2 o'clock ; it was bad weather and there was a little 
rain. We were to the leeward, but that was not 
detrimental, owing to a heavy sea, because we were 
thus enabled to make use of the first battery. How- 
ever, the wind changed during the engagement which 
lasted a little more than an hour. I will try to write 
an exact account of it and one prepared by a man of 
the service ; all that I can say in the meanwhile and 
on my own account is, that the English seemed to me 
to fire very badly, that they did not take advantage of 
their superiority, and that there was confusion among 
them. One of their ships was so disabled that it fell 
to the leeward and made a signal of distress; it had 
encountered our ship and two others at the same time ; 
if the Neptune had wished to follow it, it might have 
captured it or compelled it to run ashore. The Con- 
querant, on which I had been posted during the voyage 
to America, had, for its part, to sustain the attack of 
three of the enemy's ships, and fought hand to hand 
with the ship of three decks ; it had also three officers 
killed, among others M. de Kergu, a young man of 
promise and of the most brilliant courage, with whom 
I was intimately acquainted. A hundred soldiers or 



97 

sailors on board of it were hit, among whom forty 
were killed on the spot and an equal number mortally 
wounded. The greatest carnage was on the deck ; 
the boatswains, the captain at arms and seven steers- 
men were among the dead, its tiller and the wheel of 
its helm were carried away ; notwithstanding which 
it held out. The English, who were to the windward 
and, consequently, could renew the combat, were not 
anxious for it, put about and went away. M. Des- 
touches's project seemed to be to follow them and 
attack them again ; but we lost time in ascertaining 
■ the condition of the Conquerant, which had made a 
signal of distress. 

Night came and the enemy were already at a dis- 
tance. On b )ard of the Due de Bourgogne we had only 
four men killed and eight wounded ; an auxiliary 
officer also received a contusion along side of me ; the 
Ardent, one of the ships of our squadron, found itself 
for some time between us and an English ship, which 
warded oif many blows, but at the same time was pre- 
judicial to our manoeuvre and hindered us from doing all 
the damage to the English that we might have done. 
Besides, as I have mentioned, the English did not fire 
well ; for we were within pistol shot of one of their 
vessels, which twice fired a broadside at us, which I 
saw very plainly, without injuring us; a ball passed 
13 



98 

through our mizzen-mast without rendering it unser- 
viceable ; fourteen balls were found in the hull of the 
ship. During the whole of the engagement I remained 
upon the quarter deck, within reach of the captain 
and of M. de Viomenil. There I displayed coolness ; 
I remember that in the midst of the hottest fire, M. 
de Menonville having opened his snuff box, I begged 
a pinch of him and we exchanged a joke upon this 
subject. From M. de Viomenil I received a testimony 
of satisfaction which gave me pleasure. 

On the 17th, the admiral caused us to lie to. and 
all the captains repaired for orders. Some infantry 
officers came with them, who all did justice to the 
valor of the naval officers and the crews. This en- 
gagement united the army and the navy. M. de la 
Grandiere, captain of the Conquerant, if he did not 
display superior intelHgence, distinguished himself by 
his heroic courage. M. de la Clochetterie, the comman- 
der of the Jason, was also inentioned, and de Marigny, 
the captain of the Ardent. Lastly, M. de la Ville- 
brune, the commander of the Romulus, of fifty guns, 
which sustained the shock of the London, a ship of 
three decks, deserved praise. 

It was decided that they should return to Newport, 
the landing in Virginia seeming impossible in presence 
of the English, who, being better sailers than we, had 



99 

certainly proceeded to Chesapeake bay. Besides the 
Conquerant was in a bad condition and the Ardent 
had also sustained some damage, even before the en- 
gagement. At four o'clock we set sail. The next 
day we did not see a single ship, and at noon we found 
ourselves in the latitude of 36° 6' and in the longitude 
of 76°.^ 

On the 19th, they again lay by to wait for the 
Eveille and the Hermione, which had chased and 
captured a merchantman going from Bermuda to New 
York. There were four English officers on board, who 
informed us that the English had captured Curagao 
and St. Eustacia, belonging to the Dutch. M. Des- 
touches sent the Hermione to Philadelphia with dis- 
patches for the congress and our embassador. 



' " A very exact account of tlie engagement Avas printed shortly 
afterwards. It will l)e found in the ]ia])ers of the time. I am 
unable to find the coi)y which I had kei)t. What is certain is 
that the English had the worst in this affair, l)y which, never- 
theless, we did not profit, because the Conquerant could not re- 
pair her damage quickly enough. The captain of this ship also 
made some mistakes in manoeuvring, and lastly, M. Destouches, 
who was in command for the first time, and who had been un- 
expectedl}^ called to this post by the death of M. de Ternay, was 
afraid of the court, and did uot display all the energy that was 
requisite. The English had more cannons, but we had more 
men, and, I believe, more officers ; in our scpiadi-on there were 
some distinguished for bravery and talents." — Note from MS. 



100 

From the 20th to the 2od we chased two vessels 
unsuccessfully, one of which was a stout frigate. The 
winds were contrary, we tacked about and were com- 
pelled to lie by for fear of the land. 

On the 23d, in the morning, there were snow, a 
thick fog and a violent wind from, the south-east. We 
scattered considerably, and there was reason to fear 
that we might be cast upon the coast. At two o'clock 
the admiral resolved to spread a little sail, which di- 
minished the danger, but exposed the Ardent and the 
Conquerant, already greatly damaged, to be entirely 
dismasted. Our hope was in a change of weather, and 
indeed at three o'clock the wind abated a little ; at 
four o'clock it became more favorable, the whole crew 
were joyful, for they had been really uneasy, and the 
rather because we were unacquainted with the coast 
and there was a very thick fog ; we had been unable 
to take the altitude. Besides, we were in a dangerous 
season and a dangerous sea. During the night the 
wind again became violent and the sea rough. On 
the 24th, the weather grew clear; three of our 
ships, which had separated from us, rejoined us. At 
last, we perceived land ; it was Martha's Vineyard, 
eleven leagues from Newport ; in the evening, we an- 
chored near this island; but at midnight, the wind 
having suddenly sprung up from the north-east, we 



101 

dragged our anchors and were compelled to set sail. 
We stood for the offing, but on the 25th at two o'clock 
in the afternoon, we tacked about. Our prize, from 
which we had been separated, rejoined us, as likewise 
the Surveillante, one of our frigates which M. Des- 
touches had detached on the evening before our en- 
gagement for the purpose of reconnoitering. She- 
reported that she had seen the Endisii crowdino- 
into Chesapeake bay, having several ships unrio-o-ed 
and that she had been hotly pursued. It was fortu- 
nate that she was able to save herself, for she was ig- 
norant of our engagement and might have fallen into 
the midst of the English ships. 

On the 26th, the wind being favorable, we took ad- 
vantage of it to proceed to Newport, where we an- 
chored at five o'clock in the afternoon. I landed in 
order to have our hospitals prepared for the reception 
of the wounded. I found almost all our troops still 
under arms, because they did not expect our return, 
and had mistaken us for an English squadron. 

On the 27th, the troops landed; nothing of interest 
occurred at Newport. 

The cold continued and there was ice. We had 
had some on board also. 

April, 1781. The first days of April passed away 
very quietly; we received news of an engagement 



/ 



102 

which had occurred on the 15th of March between the 
Americans and the English in Carolina. The English 
had remained masters of the field of battle, but with 
great loss of men, so that this victory had been of no 
great importance to them. We also had the account 
which the English gave of the naval engagement of 
the IGth of March. It was contradictory. They said 
that they would have gained a complete victory if 
three of their ships had not been greatly damaged. 
Three vessels disabled out of eight was not a very 
brilliant victory, whilst we had only two disabled. 

On the loth of April, being Good Friday, having 
recovered from a violent cold, I set out for Providence, 
where my wood-cutting had fallen behindhand, and 
where the hospital also required my presence : many 
sailors had been sent to it. I slept at Warren, it was 
cold and I again saw ice. As yet none of the trees 
had leaves, and the apple-trees, which by this time 
are covered with blossoms in France, had not a single 
one. On my arrival at Providence I resumed my old 
way of living which was agreeable to me, and I re- 
paired to the wood almost every day. 

On the 18th, the merchantmen, which had left 
Brest with us, and on which we had embarked a part 
of the troops and of our property, left us and repaired 
to Saint Domingo, under the escort of a frigate. 



103 

Nothing new to the 27th, on which I am writing. 
The same weather and alwaj-s cold, on account of the 
wind which does not cease to blow strongly ; these 
winds are one of the discomforts of this climate. 
Different news was then spread, as is usual among 
armies. I do not reproduce it, not knowing whether 
it is true. 

On the 29th, I received the degree of master mason 
in a lodge held by the French, over which M. de 
Jausecourt presided. 

May, 1781. The first days were fine and warm ; the 
country was still very backward. 

On the 6th, I came to Newport. On the same day 
the Concorde, which had brought us out, arrived at 
Boston. The Count de Baras, chief of the squadron, 
appointed to take the place of M. de Ternay, and M. 
de Rochambeau's son [were on board]. They left 
Brest on the 28th of March. On the 'I'M of the same 
month M. de la Grasse had left that port at the head 
of a strong squadron, accompanying a considerable 
convoy, one part of which was for the Indies, and the 
other part, say 15 merchantmen, for us. These ves- 
sels were laden with goods for our army, two compa- 
nies of artillery and five hundred men drawn from 
different regiments who were to fill up ours and be in- 
corporated with them. I saw M. de Alpherau, lieu- 



104 

tenant of the navy, who came with M. de Barras, and 
who was connected with my wife's family and knew 
my brother. 

Since the 6th the weather has been bad enough, with 
alternations of rain, wind and cold ; people did not 
begin to do without fire until about the 15th.^ 

On the 19th, eight hundred men were embarked 
upon the vessels which were getting ready to go to 
meet the convoy which we are expecting ; but the 
English having made their appearance in superior 
force, it was not considered proper to send out the 
squadron. M. de Rochambeau set out for Hartford, 
on the same day, with the Chevalier de Chastellux ; a 
meeting with General Washington had been appointed, 
to confer about the operations of the campaign. The 
bad weather returned again and we made a fire. 

On the 26 til, M. de Rochambeau returned from his 
interview with General Washington and on the suc- 
ceeding days made arrangements for a movement of 
the troops. 



' " Notwithstanding this changeal^lcMveather wliicli I have ob- 
served at Rhode Ishiud during- the wliole winter, the country is 
healthy, the rest of my sojourn proved it to me. I have always 
had fewer sick i)ersons in our hos][)itals than in France, and when 
our army set out in the latter part of 1782, after staying in 
America two and a half years, we had not ten sick in a thousand 
men." — JVote from MS. 



105 

On the night of the 28th-29th, an officer of artillery 
named la Boioliere was assassinated by a sergeant of 
his company, without anyone's knowing the reason. 
The murderer desired to drown himself, but they 
dpew him out of the water. The officer, although he 
received several blows with a sabre, does not appear 
to be in danger. There was no delay in the trial of 
the assassin, who was hung, after having his hand cut 
off. He did not acknowledge his crime and died with 
firmness. 

June, 1781. The first days were fine and pretty 
warm. We learnt that M. de Grasse had arrived 
fortunately^ at Martinico. A council of war was 
held on board of the Due de Bourgogne and decided 
that the squadron should not go to Boston, but should 
remain at Newport where we would leave four hun- 
dred men of the infantry. We continue to make pre- 
parations for the departure of the troops. 

On the 4th, I spent part of the day on the island of 
Conanicut, with which I was not yet acquainted ; it 
is two miles from Newport and may be about two 
leagues long. I was there with some naval officers 
and M. de la Grandiere, who had dinner provided 
for us. 

On the 7th, the cold returned and people warmed 
14 



106 

themselves. I was invited to a great farewell dinner 
on board of the Due de Bourgogne. There were sixty 
persons present, several of whom were ladies of New- 
port and the vicinity. The quarter-deck had been 
arranged with sails, which made a very handsome 
hall. On the same day there was a council of admin- 
istration, composed of officers of the land and sea ser- 
vices. M. de Lauzun had just arrived, after having 
been to settle several points with General Washington. 
In the evening M. de Tarle told me to get ready the 
next day for Providence, as the first division of the 
troops was to proceed thither on the 10th. 

At this period I sent some bills of exchange to 
France. Our salaries were paid in money, and 
we took them to the army-banker, who gave us 
bills of exchange at 20, 25 and sometimes 30 premium. 
I mention, for instance, that I then sent to my sister 
525 livres in a bill of exchange which I had obtained 
for 367 livres. It was an abuse; it seems to me that 
the treasurer himself might have given us bills of 
exchange with some loss to the king, but not with 
that which he had to bear. There was something 
odious about it ; he paid us and we ^went as quickly 
as possible to sell this money to him with usury. 
At this time the American paper money was utterly 



107 



depreciated. It was at 700 per cent discount ; hereto- 
fore we had seen it at from 60 to 80, and I had 
passed much of it at 72, 

On the 9th, I went to Providence. On the road I 
met a naval officer, who was going to report at New- 
port that the Sagittaire, a ship of 50 guns, had arrived 
at Boston, after a passage of 80 days, with the greater 
part of the convoy which we were expecting. Only 
four ships, which had gone astray, were missing ; 
among which was the Jauny, armed by M. Gaudelet, 
the correspondent of my family at Brest and my own. 

On the 10th, M. de Tarle passed through Providence 
on his way to Boston. The troops arrived to-day and 
the next day ; M. de Rochambeau, the generals and 
the entire staff also passed through Providence. After- 
wards several successes of M. de Grasse were men- 
tioned. 

From the 10th to the 16th I was occcupied with the 
business of the army. 

On the 16th, I set out in the morning for General 
Washington's camp, to which I was ordered to proceed, 
stopping at the different places where our troops were 
to be stationed, in order to examine if anything was 
needed. The Americans supplied us with nothing ; 
we were obliged to purchase everything and to pro- 
vide ourselves with the most trifling things. It is 



108 

said that it is better to make war in an enemy's 
country than among one's friends. If this is an 
axiom, it acquires still more truth when war is made 
in a poor and exhausted country, where the men are 
\^ possessed of little information, selfish and divided in 
their opinions. I stopped to dine at Waterman's 
tavern, the principal place of the county, the first 
station of the army, fifteen miles from Providence, say 
five leagues. The road is agreeable, we pass through 
some woods ; but we see few cultivated fiirms and 
meet with many rocks and tracts of sand. I paid nine 
livres for my dinner ; it only consisted of a piece of 
veal, hastily fricasseed ; but in this payment, the dinners 
of my two servants and of three horses were included. 

At night, I lay at Plainfield, fifteen miles from 
Waterman's tavern. The country is a little more 
cleared, especially in the environs of Plainfield, where, 
nevertheless, there are only five or six houses I saw 
some firms sown with rye and wheat, but especially 
with maize (what we call Turkish corn in Anjou) and 
with potatoes. I also passed tli rough many woods, 
mostly of oaks and chestnut trees. My lodging cost 
me IS livres. 

On the 17th, 1 set out at half after six for Wind- 
ham, where I arrived at ten o'clock, after a journey 
of fifteen miles. The country is very similar to the 



109 

environs of Plainfield ; yet we see more pasture lands 
there, which are in the valleys. So we have to ascend 
and descend continually on this road. Plainfield and 
Windham are in Connecticut. Windham seemed to 
have sixty houses, all pretty ; there is also a very 
handsome temple/ called in this country a meefin'/-house. 
Lauzun's legion had spent the winter at Lebanon, 
which is only six miles from Windham. There is 
another village between Plainfield and Windham, 
called Strickland, which seemed to me to be pretty, 
and where we also saw a temple. I lay at Bolton, 
where I was very sick, after a fatiguing march ; it is 
eighteen miles from Windham to Boston, and we had 
to ascend and descend. I saw some pla,ces cleared, 
that is to say, where the wood had been cut, and 
which are tilled. 

On the 18th, I arrived at Hartford, the capital of 
Connecticut, fourteen miles from Boston ; the road is 
fine. Before entering Hartford we pass by a ferry 
across the Connecticut river, which empties into the 
sea and carries vessels of seventy tons to Hartford ; it 
is not navigable any farther except for flat boats ; 
moreover, it is not very broad. After having paid 
some attention to my business, I went to dine with 
Colonel Wadsworth, whom I had known at Newport, 

' The French word for a Protestant church. 



v/ 



110 



the person who supplied our army. He has a hand- 
some house very neatly furnished. He introduced me 
to the governor, Mr. Truml)ull, who presides over the 
state of Connecticut, for there is a governor in every 
state, chosen by the people I learnt at Hartford that 
General Greene, at the house of whose wife I had been 
at Providence, had obtained a considerable advantage 
in the south, and had taken 700 of the English pri- 
soners. 

On the 19th, I was particularly busy with a hospital 
which we were establishing at Hartford ; and I was, by 
way of parenthesis, compelled to fight, in presence of 
a great number of Americans, with three nurses who 
mutinied. I dined at the house of Mr. Alley, the su- 
perintendent of provisions. Hartford, the capital of 
Connecticut, somewhat smaller than Providence, is 
built in the same style ; the streets are wider, but they 
are not all paved. We saw there two temples, and a 
third outside of the city, and a Court House or City 
Hall. The environs are fertile, especially the banks 
of the river, where very good pasturage is found. Be- 
fore reaching Hartford and crossing the river, we find 
a village called East Hartford ; it is there that our 
troops are to encamp. Tliis village has only thirty 
houses and a temple ; but three or four miles off are 
some houses which depend upon it. 



Ill 

I did not leave Hartford until early on the 22d. M. 
de Rochambeau arrived on tliat day with our first divi- 
sion, and he desired me to precede them. I dined and 
remained at Farmington, ten or twelve miles from 
Hartford. The country between these two points 
seemed to me to be dry ; but Farmington is in a plea- 
sant valley. I continued my journey and lay at 
Baron's Tavern, which is situated between two steep 
mountains. 

On the next day, the 23d, to reach Breakneck for 
dinner I was obliged to follow a difficult road, to leave 
the valley and climb a mountain ; so that Breakneck 
means to break one's neck. From this place to 
Newtown, where I was to pass the night, is eighteen 
miles, more than half of which is in a bad road. In 
general, the country is middling, yet in the midst of 
these rocks, we find some pieces of sown ground which 
seem to produce much grain, at least for the time 
being ; for these farms, newly cleared, seem to me to 
have little depth of soil. At first they have produced 
much, because beds of the leaves of trees are found 
there which, being rotten and mixed with the soil, 
fertilize it ; but this can only be for the moment, 

Newtown is on a hill surrounded by hills which 
are still higher. There are only a hundred houses 
with "two temples. One of them was near the place 



112 



where I lodged ; and, as it was Sunday, I saw many 
people from the vicinity dismount there As all the 
inhabitants of the country are proprietors and, con- 
sequently, in pretty easy circumstances, they had 
come on horseback, as well as their wives and daugh- 
ters. In the neighborhood of Boston, they come in 
carriages; but here the country is mountainous and 
the horse is more suitable. The husband mounts his 
horse along with his wife ; sometimes there are two 
women or two young girls together ; they are all well 
clothed, wearing the little black hat in the English 
style, and making as good an appearance as the 
burghers in our cities. I counted more than a hundred 
horses at the door of the temple, where I heard sing- 
ing before the preaching, in chorus or in parts. The 
singing was agreeable and well performed, not by 
hired priests and chaplains, but by men or women, 
young men or young girls whom the desire of praising 
God had assembled. 

To-day I was rejoined at Newtown, where I spent 
the whole day, by M. de Sanson, my secretary and 
some surgeons and apothecaries. I pointed out to 
them the site which I had selected for the hospital, 
and set out, on the 25th, to proceed to the American 
army. 

I dined at Plainfield, a very small village, where I 



113 

found nothing but some fried ham and I lay at a 
place called Crampond. The country is mountainous 
and barren ; the trees are small and very inferior to 
those in the vicinity of Providence. Crampond and 
its environs are not considered a very safe country ; 
it is peopled by tories and, besides, is af no great dis- 
tance from New York, where the English have their 
principal forces, at present. 

I set out very early on the 26th and reached the 
American army. I stopped at Peekskill, a small vil- 
lage. I could hardly find a room in the inn, which 
was occupied by Mr. Pearson, one of the American 
generals. Peekskill is situated on the North river 
which is very broad ; it is almost an arm of the sea, 
which vessels of war ascend. In some respects it 
divides America into two parts, and it is upon this 
river that the fortifications of West Point are found, 
the important post which Arnold had intended to 
give up to the English. I went to speak to General . 
Pearson, who gave me an aide-de-camp, to conduct me 
to General Washington, whose quarters were at a dis- 
tance of two miles. I found him sitting upon a bench 
at the door of the house where he lodged. I explained 
my mission to him and he gave me a letter for the 
quarter-master of Peekskill landing, to which I pro- 
ceeded. These quarter masters have here, in the 
15 



114 



army, almost the same functions as we, but with more 
authority. I set out immediately upon the same 
horses, although I had more than eight leagues to 
travel and in the rain. I passed through another 
Peekskill where the Americans have their magazines 
and their arsenals. These are large wooden barracks, 
built recently, situated between two ranges of mount- 
ains. This other Peekskill is on the bank of the 
river ; it is there that they are building our ovens, a 
business which 1 found very little advanced. The 
builder, desiring to make them elegant, sent to a dis- 
tance for the materials. The next day 1 went to 
Poughkeepsie, a village where it was proposed to esta- 
blish our hospitals, five leagues beyond Peekskill 
landing, on the road to Albany, and, consequently, to 
Canada. I sent a letter to General Chnton, which I 
had for him ; he is the governor of the province of 
New York, in which we were. The legislature was 
then sitting, to which I was summoned, the governor 
having informed them of my demand of a site to esta- 
blish a hospital. After waiting for some time, two 
deputies were sent to me who spoke French, General 
Schuyler, retired from the service and residing at Al- 
bany (he was brother-in-law of M. Coster, one of the 
providers of our army) ; the other. General Scott, 
commanding the militia of the province, both about 



115 

50 years of age and of good manners. On ttie same 
day I returned to sleep at Peekskill landing. It is a 
village partly inhabited by Dutch families. They have 
preserved the manners and character of their nation. 
The inn at which I dismounted was kept by one of 
these families. 

I set out again on the 28th for the American army. 
I passed by General Washington's quarters, but as he 
had changed them I did not see him, and I proceeded 
directly to the inn at which I had previously dis- 
mounted at Peekskill. I met M. Du Portail, a French 
engineer in the service of America, with whom I con- 
versed. He was greatly esteemed by the Americans. 
I spent the remainder of the day in the camp and saw 
two regiments go through their exercise. The soldiers 
marched pretty well, but the}' handled their arms 
badly. There were some fine-looking men ; also manj' 
who were small and thin, and even some children 
twelve or thirteen years old. They have no uniforms 
and in general are badly clad. 

On the 29 th, I got on horseback to see some barracks 
which had been occupied by an American regiment 
during the winter ; my purpose was to establish a 
hospital there. On the road I met General Washing- 
ton, who was going to review a part of his troops. He 
recognized me, stopped and invited me to dine with 



116 



hiin at three o'clock. I repaired thither ; there were 
twenty-five covers used by some officers of the army 
and a lady to whom the house belonged in which the 
general lodged. We dined under the tent. I was 
placed alongside of the general. One of his aides-de- 
camp did the honors. 

The table was served in the American style and 
pretty abundantly : vegetables, roast beef, lamb, chick- 
ens, salad dressed wdth nothing but vinegar, green 
peas, puddings and some pie, a kind of tart, greatly in 
use in England and among the Americans, all this 
being put upon the table at the same time. They 
gave us on tlie sanie plate beef, green peas, lamb, &c. 
At the end of the dinner the cloth was removed and 
some Madeira wine was brought, which was passed 
around, whilst drinking different healths, to the king 
of France, the French army, etc. I rose when I heard 
General Washington ask for his horses, because I de- 
sired to have a conversation with him and Mr. Coster, 
the purveyor of our army, who had arrived and spoke 
French well. We all three left the table ; the other 
officers remained ; the lady also withdrew at the same 
time as we. Our conference being ended, the general 
proposed to us to return again to the table for a moment, 
whilst waiting for the time of departure. Again some 
healths were drunk, among others that of the Count 



117 



de Grasse ; then everyone rose from table. I have 
dwelt upon the details of this dinner, because every- 
thing that relates to General Washington seems inte- 
resting to me. 

I have already described his figure. His physiog- 
nomy has something grave and serious ; but it is 
never stern, and, on the contrary, becomes softened by 
the most gracious and amiable smile. He is affable 
and converses with his officers familiarly and gaily. 
I was not sufficiently accustomed to the English lan- 
guage to maintain a connected conversation with him ; 
nevertheless we exchanged some words, for instance, 
respecting the battle of the Chesapeake, which he 
considered glorious to our arms. He excused himself 
respecting the entertainment which he had given me, 
to which I replied that I found myself in good case in 
America, better than in Corsica, where I had been for 
a long time. As to this subject he told me that the 
English papers announced that the Corsicans were 
about to revolt and create a diversion against us. I 
replied that I had no fear of it, that the Corsicans 
were not dangerous, and that Paoli was not Washing- 
ton. In the evening I saw him again ; he had come 
to see General Pearson, in whose house I was lodo'ino- 
He invited me to come and dine with him as long as 
I remained in his quarters. On the next day, passing 



118 

by this house, again, he stopped there, caused me to be 
called, and proposed to me to take me to dine at the 
house of one of the American generals to which he 
was going. I thanked him, on account of some busi- 
ness, and he invited me in the most polite manner in 
the world for the next day. 

July, 1781. I went thither, indeed ; it was the first 
of July. I found the table served as at the first time 
with about the same number of guests. I was along- 
side of General Washington and another general 
named Lord Stirling (he claimed to be an English 
lord). General Washington seemed, for a moment, 
to be somewhat absent, at other times he joined in 
the conversation and appeared to be interested in it. 
There was a clergyman at this dinner who blessed the 
food and said grace after they had done eating and 
had brought on the wine. I was told that General 
Washington said grace when there was no clergyman 
at table, as fathers of a fimily do in America. The 
first time that I dined with him there was no clergyman 
and I did not perceive that he made this prayer ; yet 
I remember that, on taking his place at table, he made 
a gesture and said a word which I took for a piece of 
politeness, and which perhaps was a religious action. 
In this case, his prayer must have been short ; the 
clergyman made use of more forms. 



119 

We remained a pretty long time at t.able. They 
drank twelve or fifteen healths with Madeira wine^. 
In the course of the meal beer was served and grum, 
rum mixed with w\ater. 

On the -d. the American army left the camp of 
Peekskill to advance nearer to New York. The first 
division of our troops proceeded in the same direction. 
I was informed of this march, the evening before, by 
M. de Tarle, which altered our projects of establish- 
ments for victuals and hospitals in the environs of 
Peekskill, where I was, nevertheless, obliged to re- 
main. General Washington himself departed, and I 
saw him pass with his staff' and an escort of dragoons. 

On the 3d, I learnt that our army was at North- 
castle. I ought to send bread to it. Only a small 
quantity, 3000 rations, reached me. The ovens of 
Peekskill landing were found to be too distant from 
our army, and this service was not well performed. 
Besides, I was not entrusted with it and had very 
little authority over it. 

On the 4th, in the morning, I saw several American 
officers returning wounded to Peekskill ; they had 
been so the evening before at Kingsbridge. The 
English were guarding a post there which the Ameri- 
can advanced-guard attacked ; one of these officers 
was stretched out in the room in which I was dining j 



120 

his wife was busy about him and dressed his wounds 
herself, a touching spectacle, but little suitable for 
giving an appetite. On the same day, the effects of 
the American troops which had remained at Peeks- 
kill were sent to them upon a great number of vehicles, 
escorted by some soldiers of this nation, who, contrary 
to all discipline, fired incessantly and thus spent their 
powder very uselessly, a commodity which, neverthe- 
less, was very scarce in America. 

On the 5th, I rejoined the army at Northcastle. It 
left that place on the 6th. I remained at Northcastle 
to establish a hospital there. On the 7th, I rejoined 
our troops, encamped at Phillipsburg, eight leagues 
from New York. I lay in M. de la Cheze's tent, not 
having my baggage with me. The heat was excessive ; 
it was not moderated until the 10th by a great rain 
which lasted all night and passed through all the 
tents. I dined that day at the intendant's with 
General Washington. He was rather grave ; it was 
said that there had been a little misunderstanding 
between him and General Rochambeau. General 
Washington's army was encamped near ours ; it was 
about 4000 men. 

On the 11th, I returned to Northcastle to see our 
hospital establishment ; I busied myself until the 14th 
in the details of the service. I learnt some particulars 



121 



respecting the attack of Kingsbridge, of which I have 
spoken ; they expected to surprise the English, but 
they were upon their guard, so that the Americans 
were repulsed. Lauzun's legion marched to their assist- 
ance; but General Lincoln, who was retreating, did 
not think fit to employ it. We had news that the 
English were evacuating Virginia, which, it was said, 
was to be ascribed to the march of our troops. Lastly 
an eno'ao'ement was mentioned between the Surveil- 
lante, a frigate of our squadron and a ship of 50 guns ; 
she got off with much glory ; she was commanded by 
M. de Villars. It is the same frigate that fought with 
so much couraoe ao'ainst another Enolish frioate 

O O CO 

which took fire ; she was then commanded by M. de 
Conedie, who received a wound of which he died. 

On the 15th, I returned to the camp. In the even- 
ing M. de Rochambeau reproached me respecting the 
supply of bread which had failed. It was in vain for 
me to justify myself by telling him that I was not 
especially entrusted with this service ; he was unwil- 
ling to listen to me. Nevertheless I had foretold that 
the bread would fail owing to the remoteness of the 
ovens. Next day the following remarks of M. de 
Rochambeau were related to me, that I was well 
pleased to see the supply fail, because I wished to 
have the intendaut sent away and to fill his place ; 
16 



122 



that as to the rest, the provisions ought to have been 
entrusted to me. Never were reproach and suspicion 
more unjust, and I felt it much. But such is M. de 
Rochambeau. He mistrusts every one and always 
believes that he sees himself surrounded by rogues and 
idiots. This character, combined with manners far 
from courteous, makes him disagreeable to everybody.^ 
On the ITth, I had occasion to see him again and he 
charged me to go and reconnoitre a site where he pro- 
posed to esbablish new storehouses of provisions, which 
I performed the same day. On the next day I wasted 
a whole day in running over, tediously and uselessly, 
the -environs of the camp in a barren and desert region 
with which I was unacquainted, to find some employees 
whom I needed. Nevertheless, I succeeded in having 

' I wrote what precedes in a moment of ill-hnmor ; and al- 
though M. de Rochambeau was i;njust to me, on this occasion, 
and there is some truth in the portrait, which is here drawn of 
him, I ought to say that he also has good qualities, that he is 
wise, that he desires what is good, and that, if he is not an able 
administrator, he is generally verj^ active, having an excellent 
glan(?e, readily becoming acquainted with a country, and undei-- 
standing war perfectly. He has served well in America and 
has given a favorable idea of the nation. People expected to 
see a French fop, and they saw a thoughtful man. " Your 
general is abstemious," an American alongside of whom I was din- 
ing, once said to me, and who remarked his moderation at table. 
This moderation and this wisdom were generally observable in 
the most important points. 



i 



123 



a service of provisions established in a village called 
Rick's mill. On returning to camp I learnt that a cap- 
tain of Lauzun's legion had been killed whilst going 
the rounds with the patrol 

On the 2 1st, I saw M. de Rochambeau, to whom I 
gave an account of what I had done. His reception 
of me is usually cold. Nevertheless, I knew that he 
had spoken of my performances with praise. In the 
evening, at 9 o'clock, Lauzun's legion and the grena- 
diers and chasseurs of the Bourbonnois brigade started 
under the command of M. de Chastellux for an expe- 
dition, of the cause and object of which we are igno- 
rant. An American corps also marched. M.- de 
Rochambeau and Washington followed these divisions. 

We learnt, on the 22d, that these troops had not 
accomplished anything, and they returned on this 
same day after having pillaged extensively and com- 
mitted disorders, of which hitherto there had been no 
example. On the contrary, the army had behaved 
with a prudence which had merited the greatest 
praises from the Americans themselves. The latter 
marched in a very orderly manner to-day. I beheve 
that they had no other object tiian to make a recon- 
noissance, the result of which was to satisfy them that 
they could not attack New York without very superior 
forces. 



I 



124 



Nothing new happened until the 26th, when I re- 
turned to Northcastle. At this time it was said that 
the English fleet had left New York, to go to Virginia 
in search of Lord Cornwallis, who seemed to be desir- 
ous of evacuating that province altogether. If this news 
is true, the English must be very strong in New York, 
which ought to oblige us to retreat and to evacuate 
the camp of Phillipsburg : that would not be much re- 
gretted as to the matter of convenience. The head- 
quarters especially are badly situated and all the corps 
and services too distant from each other. I was 
obliged to go four or five leagues every day to attend 
to my business. 

The country is uneven, cut up by hills and woods. 
It is hard to find any valleys at all fertile. The hos- 
pital, for instance, was located on a farm, the truly 
rural situation of which was very pleasing. In these 
fields we saw two trees which are met with in France 
only in the gardens of the botanists and of some con- 
noisseurs ; the tulip tree and the catalpa. The first is 
of the poplar genus ; it becomes very tall and very 
straight ; its bark is handsome and its leaf large ; it 
has a flower which resembles a tulip, whence its name. 
I saw one at Northcastle taller than the finest elm and 
as thick, straight and affording much shade ; this 
would be a fine tree for an avenue ; the other the cat- 



125 



alpa, or the caltapa, resembles the plantain, but its 
leaf is larger ; the flower resembles that of the horse- 
chestnut ; it bears it at the same time as the leaves. 
This would be a very suitable tree for ornamenting 
gardens and making arbors. It is known in France 
by the name of bignonia, a name which Tournefort had 
given it in honor of the Abbe Bignore, the keeper of 
the king's library. //In conversing with the Americans 
about agriculture, I became confirmed in the opinion 
that the farms which appeared fertile in the north of 
America were chiefly so because they were newly 
cleared, but that they soon become exhausted. It is 
said that better soils are found on penetrating to the 
west. I am willing to believe it, but this country is 
unknown and inhabited by savage tribes, difficult to 
be subjugated. " 

August, 1781. Nothing interesting occurred during 
the first days of the month. I went and came, from 
the camp to Northcastle and from Northcastle to the 
camp. Pretty often we had storms and heavy rains, 
which cooled the air only for a moment. We had few 
sick men and less in proportion than in France. The 
retirement of M. Necker was much spoken of at this 
time, which seemed to concern everyone. We learnt 
this news through the English, who often sent 
trumpets and forwarded gazettes to us. We learnt 



126 



from the same papers that M. de la Mothe-Piquet had 
captured a rich convoy. The parleys between us and 
the English were displeasing to the Americans, and 
even to General Washington ; they were unaccustomed 
to this way of making war. 

We were very quiet in our camp, foraging without 
being disturbed. The Enghsh contented themselves 
with guarding their cities and the outposts without 
making the least attempt against us ; this made us 
sometimes believe in peace. On the other hand we 
were in daily expectation of M. de Grasse's squadron. 

On the 16th, having gone to Peekskill to see our 
magazines and two churches which I was fitting up to 
serve as hospitals for us in case of need, I received an 
express from the intendant telling me to transfer the 
hospital from Northcastle to Peekskill ; he added that 
he was about to proceed to Chatain on the North river. 
I proceeded immediately to the army, taking another 
route than the usual one. I skirted the North river 
and passed through a village called Taristown,^ where 
there was a little trade. On arriving at headquarters, 
I learnt that the Concorde frigate, detached by M. de 
Grasse, had just arrived and that it had brought dis- 
patches from him. He announced that he was about 
to join us with twenty-eight ships of the line ; as, ac- 

1 Qu. Tarrytown ? 



127 



cording to all appearances, he must have entered 
Chesapeake bay, the French and American generals 
made a movement with the two armies to be nearer 
to him and to confine, or rather to hem in, Cornwallis's 
army which was at the extremity of Virginia. This 
frigate confirmed to us the capture of a convoy by M. 
de la Mothe-Piquet ; we also learnt that they had re- 
captured Pondichery and were besieging Madras. It 
seemed also that the news of the retirement of M. 
Necker was assuming consistence. 

On the 19th, the army began its movement to the 
rear from Phillipsburg to Northcastle. Many wagons 
broke down on the road and there was much disorder 
in the columns ; a very great rain which came on de- 
layed the marcli, and the troops bivouacked on the road. 
M. de Rochambeau had a very lively scene with the 
intendant upon this subject ; I was present and suffered 
much on account of it. I thought that if these posi- 
tions are handsome they certainly have their discom- 
forts. 

On the 21st, the army left Northcastle. In the 
evening I received orders from the general to carry a 
letter to General Washington, who was already on the 
other side of the North river, where we also were be- 
ginning to form some establishments. The Americans 
were already much farther off than I had supposed ; I 



128 

joined them, nevertheless : General Washington was 
occupying Smith's house, famous owing to the fact that 
there Andre and Arnold had held their meeting. Gene- 
ral Washington was taking tea ; I took it with him. 
He read the letter, which I had brought him, twice, and 
which, I believe, contained nothing very important. 
When he had given me his answer, I immediately set 
out again ; it was late and I crossed the North river 
by night ; I reached head quarters at eleven o'clock. 
All the rooms were occupied in the inn where I 
alighted, and I slept on the floor and upon a staircase. 
The next morning I learnt that some letters had 
arrived for us by the frigate la Magicienne, which had 
just reached Boston after a passage of fifty-three days, 
and which brought us 1,800,000 hvres. Another fri- 
gate, la Fortune, which had put into St. Domingo, 
followed her closely. The retirement of M. Necker is 
confirmed. M. de Viomenil received a memoir com- 
posed against him, which he communicated to me, and 
which seemed to me a little masterpiece of wit. 



129 



CHAPTER ly. 

The Allied A)-)nies cross the North River and march tovmrds 
the Chesapeake Bay — M. Blanchard rejoins them soon 
aftericards — He passes through VTJi ippony, Somerset, Prince- 
ton and Redlines, stops at Philadelphia, and goes on through 
Chester, Wilmington, Brandywine, Christian Bridge and 
Head of Elk, xohere he rejoins the Army — He embarks 
with a Detachment to effect a tTunction ivith the Troops 
hrouglit by 31. de Grasse''s Squadron, 'which had arrived in 
the Bay. 

August, 1781. On the 22d and 23d, the army began 
to cross the North river, and it was decided that I 
should remain for the present at Peekskill. 

On the 2od and 24th, our troops finished crossing 
the river. This crossing occupied much time, owing 
to the breadth of the river, which tliey were obHged 
to cross in ferry boats collected in great numbers, but 
still not enough. On the 25th, I went myself to the 
spot and saw many of the troops and much baggage 
cross. General Washington was there ; they had pro- 
vided apaviUon for him, from which he examined every- 
thing very attentively. He seemed, in this crossing, 
in the march of our troops towards the Chesapeake 
bay and in our reunion with M. de Grasse, to see a 
17 



130 

better destiny arise, when at this period of the war, 
exhausted, destitute of resources, he needed a great 
success which might revive courage and hope. He 
pressed my hand with much affection when he left us 
and crossed the river himself. It was about two 
o'clock. He then rejoined his army, which had com- 
menced its march in the morning, as also the first 
division of our army. 

On the 26th, the second division of our army and 
all our troops directed their course towards Phihadel- 
phia. The American general Heath was entrusted 
with the command of this side of the river and the 
protection of our establishment. 

On the 28th, after having caused a convoy for the 
army to set out, I mounted a horse to go to West 
Point. It is a fortification, or rather a mass of fortifi- 
cations, erected upon a rock which projects much into 
the river and contracts it considerably at this place. 
The passage of it was difficult and the Americans had 
neglected nothing to increase the natural difficulties. 
Thus the English had never dared to attempt this im- 
portant crossing. West Point is the post which the 
traitor Arnold wished to give up in the latter part of 



JS^ote. The event lias justified my remarks ; for the capture 
of YorktowH, the result of our reunion witli M. cleGrasse, greatly 
c()ntril)uted to the peace and secured the liherty of America. 



131 

1780. The Americans have some establishments in 
the neighborhood, among others, a hospital which I 
visited ; the sick were in single beds, but without 
sheets and only on the straw with a coverlid. Besides, 
they had no nourishment but bread and meat which 
the convalescents prepare. The buildings which serve 
for the hospital were nothing l)ut barns which had 
not even been repaired.^ People sometimes complain 
of our military hospitals, but it is enough to see these 
to acknowledge that these complaints are unfounded. 
Military men who have traveled know it well and de- 
clare that our army-hospitals are greatly superior to 
all those of foreign countries. From West Point I 
went to Peekskill, where I had already been in the 
month of June. As I was passing in the midst of 
some barracks connected with the American establish- 
ments, I was greatly surprised at hearing French 
spoken. In fact, these barracks were occupied by 
eight or ten families who had come from Canada ; the 
men had been employed among the troops and the 
women and children had been left in these barracks, 
and some assistance had been given to them. They 



' Let tlie reader consult the Avork of the sub-intendant Vigo- 
Roussilon, Of the Military Pover of the Tainted States of Ame- 
ricn, 186, and let hira compare the American hospitals of 1781 
with tliose of the AYar of the Succession. 



132 

presented a very miserable appearance. A woman to 
whom I spoke, twenty years old and of a tolerably 
pretty figure, called herself by her maiden name, 
Marie Goguet. She spoke pretty good French with- 
out accent. I gave her a piaster, which she received 
with pleasure. On the 30th, I crossed the North 
river at King's-ferry, and, having concluded to rejoin 
the army, after having given my instructions, I set 
out on the first of September. 

Septemher, 1781. The country which I crossed for 
three or four leagues is mountainous and middling, it 
is better and more agreeable in the place where I 
stopped to dine, at Suffern, which is also the name of 
the inn-keeper. His house is situated in the state of 
New York ; but Pompton, where I passed the night, 
is in New Jersey. The road to it is very level, it is 
in a valley tolerably well cultivated and pleasant. I 
lodged at the house of a Dutchman, John Van Gelder, 
who received me very well. The next day, at two, I 
dined at Whippany, where the army had stopped. The 
road which I followed continues to be fine, situated in 
a cultivated valley. Some wood is found there never- 
theless. I observed fewer apple trees there than in 
the other provinces through which T had passed, but 
many peach trees. This valley is also very narrow 
and the mountains which border on it are barren : 



133 

there are some sandy places in the valley itself. I 
saw nothing there but buckwheat and maize, and 
these farms are greatly in need of manure. In France 
these farms would be middling good. I learnt, on the 
way, that the La Resolute frigate had arrived ; we 
were impatiently expecting it ; it had been announced 
to us by the Magicienne. It brought us money, as 
well for us as for the Americans, and some goods for 
their troops. It also brought back Mr. Laurens, the 
son of a president of the congress, whom i have al- 
ready mentioned, and who had gone to France in the 
month of February to ask for this assistance. On the 
same day I came to spend the night at Bullion's tav- 
ern, after having passed through Chatham, a village 
where our ovens had been set up, which I was well 
pleased to visit, which caused me to go five miles far- 
ther and prevented my passing through Morristown, 
where General Washington had his quarters for a 
long time, and where the Americans have some iron- 
works as at Peekskill ; I also lost the opportunity of 
visiting the country house of Lord Stirling, that 
American general whose nobility is somewhat con- 
tested. This country house is almost unique in these 
parts, where the dwellings resemble farm houses ; 
they have no gardens, no fences, no fruit-walls, only 
some apple trees, some peach trees and some scattered 



134 

cherry trees, or forming what we call orchards. The 
road which I took to reach Bullion's tavern is not dis- 
agreeable ; but the farms are still middling, they were 
sown with maize and buckwheat ; I also saw a little 
hemp there. 

On the 3d, I dined at Somerset, the same kind of 
country and the same road, and lay at Princeton, a 
pretty village, of about sixty houses ; the inns there 
are handsome and very clean. A very handsome col- 
lege is also to be seen there, built in the same style 
as that at Providence. The English had quartered 
their troops in it when they were masters of this part 
of the country ; they had damaged it somewhat. I 
visited the college ; there were fifty scholars ; there 
was room for two hundred. Several languages were 
taught ; a student who accompanied me already spoke 
a little French. 

He showed me a tolerably ingenious machine repre- 
senting the movement of the stars, which was moved 
by springs. My intention had been to spend the 
night at Princeton, but the weather was fine and I 
proceeded to Trenton, going forty miles in the day. 
Trenton, ten leagues from Philadelphia, is a pretty 
considerable village, of at least a hundred houses, sit- 
uated on the Delaware. This village, or little city, 
is pretty and seems to announce the vicinity of a capi- 



135 

tal. I made haste to leave it on the 4th, having 
learnt that our first division was already at Philadel- 
phia, and that the second arrived there on this very 
day. I crossed the Delaware in a ferry boat ; it is 
neither broad nor deep at this place, but at the dis- 
tance of four leagues it becomes as broad as the Loire 
below La Fosse. I had heard Americans say that 
these two rivers resembled each other ; this resem- 
blance also struck me owing to the colors of the white 
and limpid water and the low and agreeable banks. 
The road leading to Philadelphia is fine, at least to 
Avithin ten miles from this city, at Redlines,^ where I 
stopped to dine and wrote these notes. It is quite 
wide and skirts the Delaware ; forests are passed 
through in some places. At last, 1 reached Philadel- 
phia in the evening ; the country in the neighborhood 
is cultivated ; here and there I met with pretty houses 
and everything announced the vicinity of a great city. 
Philadelphia is a very extensive city, and regularly 
built ; the houses are of brick and pretty high, the 
streets straight, broad, and very long ; there are side 
walks for persons on foot. Some public buildings are 
also to be seen there which are worthy of a great city, 
such as the house where the congress meets, the hos- 



The Red Lion ? 



136 



pitals and the prison. The absence of quays upon the 
Delaware deprives it of a great convenience and a 
great beauty. In the evening I repaired to the house 
of M. de la Luzerne, who was giving a great dinner to 
the chief officer of the congress, General Washington 
and the principal officers of our troops. On entering 
the city they defiled before the president of the con- 
gress and saluted hiui. Beginning on the 5th, our first 
division set out for the Chesapeake bay. I walked 
much in the city, without neglecting my business and 
the attention to be paid to our sick, who had been 
quartered in the Philadelphia hospital. I dined on the 
same day at the house of M. de la Luzerne with more 
than eighty persons. Whilst we were at table, news 
was brought that M. de Grasse had arrived in Chesa- 
peake bay with twenty-eight ships of the line, and 
that he had landed three thousand men who had joined 
M. de la Fayette, so that Cornwallis, who found him- 
self between the fleet and the land forces, was in dan- 
ger of being captured. This news was received with 
great joy by all the guests, French and Americans, 
In the evening the citizens assembled and proceeded 
in a crowd to the hotel of the ambassador. During 
the day, the regiment of Soissonnois had manoeuvred 
before a crowd of the inhabitants, who seemed to ad- 
mire the fine appearance of the soldiery and their 



137 

discipline. The tories could not avoid agreeing to it, 
but they said that it was a regiment recruited in Eng- 
land. The English had described us to the Americans 
as pigmies. 

On the 6th, the second division commenced its march. 
M. Holker, the French consul at Philadelphia, took 
me to dine at his country house, only three miles from 
the city. We drank some excellent Burgundy wine, 
which is very scarce beyond the sea. Several French 
merchants were at this dinner. 

On the 7th, after having breakfasted at the house of 
our ambassador, I set out to rejoin the army, and lay 
at Chester, after having crossed the Schuylkill one 
mile from Philadelphia, at the place where M. Tron- 
9on-Du-Coudray, a well-known officer of artillery, who 
had been sent to the Americans, was drowned in 
crossing a ferry. At present there is a bridge. Chester 
is a little village, five leagues from Philadelphia and 
on the Delaware. The next day I started early and 
lay at Wilmington, a village upon the Brandywine, 
whereon an important battle was fought which has 
retained its name. Thence, I went to dine at Christian 
Bridge, where I did the honors of the public table to 
some Americans with whom I drank toasts. At night, 
I lay at the Head of Elk, where I found our army. 
The country through which I had passed for two days 
18 



^JVW*-' 



was, generally, barren and sandy, so that we were 
covered with dust. 

On arriving, I learnt that 1200 of the troops, of 
whom a part were grenadiers and chasseurs, were to 
embark for the purpose of joining the troops which M. 
de Grasse had brought, and that I was to be on this 
expedition. They were to embark on a little river 
leading into Chesapeake bay ; the remainder of the 
troops were to proceed by land to the appointed spot; 
that is to say in front of York to which Cornwallis had 
withdrawn. 

On the 9th, I devoted myself to the embarkation. 
On the 10th the boats provided to convey us repaired 
to Plumb Point, where the embarkation was easier, and 
on the 11th they were on board. In company with 
M. de Custine I got on board a small boat, in which 
were sm<^ officers and fifty grenadiers. Cooking could 
not be done on these boats and we had nothing but 
some biscuits and cheese for the soldiers, and some 
cold meats for us. On the 12th, in the morning, we 
had not made much headway, the wind being contrary, 
yet we entered Chesapeake bay on the same morning. 
At this point it is a league in breadth. This Chesa- 
peake bay is a little Mediterranean, and some immense 
rivers empty into it which bear the largest ships, such 
as the Potomac. On the evening cf the said day, the 



139 

12th, a storm of wind and rain came on, so that we 
were compelled to anchor. We were cruelly tossed 
about all night and almost everyone was sick. We 
were then as high up as Annapolis and in sight of two 
friofates and a cutter which the bad weather did not 
allow us to join, and which we supposed to form apart 
of M. de Grasse's squadron. Next day we had fine 
weather and continued to advance ; but we were not 
followed by the other boats, twenty in number. We 
perceived a pretty strong boat coming towards us by 
the use of oars ; we did not pay much attention to it, 
when suddenly it tacked about and left us. We sus- 
pected that it was a little pirate (there are many of 
them in these parts) ; desiring to attack us it concluded 
on approaching that we had too many people on board. 
On the 1 1th, we joined M. de Grasse's squadron and 
M. de Custine, and I went on board of the Ville de 
Paris which he commanded. He received us very well 
and gave us dinner. We learnt that he had had an 
engagement with the English squadron a few days 
before. M. de Grasse had the advantage, but he did 
not pursue the English because he was unwilling to 
leave the Chesapeake bay, the rather because he was 
expecting the ships which M. de Barras was bringing 
to him, and which we had left at Newport when the 
army departed from that city in the month of June, 



140 



They might have been intercepted by the English, but 
fortunately the}' joined M. de Grasse. 

Two days afterwards, the squadron having left the 
bay, two English frigates entered it to cut loose the 
buoys of the squadron which had been left there ; 
they had not time to escape, and were captured upon 
the return of the squadron. 

M. de Grasse's squadron, after its junction with M. 
de Barras, was composed of more than forty ships or 
frigates. I saw several naval officers of my acquaint- 
ance, and was on board of the Due de Bourgogne. 
Then being in haste to land, I hired a little American 
boat on which I embarked with M. de Lauberdiere,^ 
who had followed M. de Custine. We were to ascend 
the James river and join M. de la Fayette, to inform 
him of our arrival, and that I might prepare every- 
thing that was necessary for the arrival of our troops. 
There w^as some imprudence in embarking in so small 
a boat and upon a very stormy river, and I heard it 
mentioned to M. de Grasse who saw us start from his 
stern-gallery. We had scarcely room to lie down in 
this little boat, and we were in the open air. It rained 
the next day, and we were penetrated to the skin. 
Moreover the captain was very little acquainted with 



An aide-de-camp to M. Kochambeati. 



141 



this river, and there were many sandbanks so that we 
touched several times. At last, after having wandered 
for a long time in an unknown river, we landed two 
leagues from Williamsburg, where M. de la Fayette 
was posted ; at least that is what a woman told us 
whom we met. There was no house or place where 
we landed, and we were compelled to go a long way 
on foot. At length we arrived at a deserted house 
where were two persons who let us in, but neither 
furniture nor provisions. We lay upon the floor. 
The next day, having hired horses, we proceeded to 
Williamsburg, the capital of Virginia. It consists of 
only a single street, but very broad and very hand- 
some. Two or three public buildings, pretty large, 
are also to be seen there. We got in at the quarters 
of M. de la Fayette, where I found M. de Chastellux, 
who liad arrived the evening before, with M. de Roch- 
ambeau and M. de Washington. They had got 
in advance by making forced marches across Mary- 
land and Virginia. This latter province is General 
Washington's birthplace ; he has there a very hand- 
some dwelling-house, where he received our two 
generals : he had not been in his own country since 
the beginning of the war. A body of Americans under 
the command of M. de la Fayette were encamped near 
Williamsburg. Three French regiments, which M. 



142 



de Grasse had brought, were joined to them, forming 
a body of 3000 men. They were the regiments of 
Gatinois, d' Agenois and Touraine. I found among 
my acquaintances the Count d' Autichamp, who com- 
manded one of the regiments ; he spoke much to me 
of my uncle, settled in St. Domingo, with whom he 
was connected. From this day, I set to work, although 
without a piece of paper or an employee or a bag of 
flour at my disposal ; I was completely overwhelmed, 
which I still remember now that I am copying this 
thirteen years afterwards. The Baron de Steuben, a 
German general officer in the service of America, gave 
a great dinner to our generals, and I went to it. The 
next day the French and American generals, went 
on board of the Ville de Paris to see M. de Grasse. I 
sent a note to M. de Rochambeau to obtain some sup- 
plies from the navy in wines, flour, &c. On the 17th 
and the following days I worked much with M. de la 
Fayette, who was pleased to assist me in providing for 
our troops. It is difficult to employ more order, pa- 
tience and integrity in the discussion of business 
matters ; he reminded me of Scipio African us in Spain ; 
as young and as modest as he, he already had the 
reputation of a skilful warrior ; for the last campaign 
which he had just made, whilst sustaining himself 
against Cornwallis with inferior forces, had procured 
him much glory, and justly so. 



143 

On the 21st and 22d my work was doubled ; I caused 
ovens to be constructed, but I was in want of tools and 
I had to run about much and negotiate to obtain even 
a hammer. Our generals came and deposited with 
me 800,000 livres in piasters, which M. de Grasse had 
brought for us. The grenadiers and chasseurs also ar- 
rived; everybody applied to me for bread, vehicles 
and all possible necessaries. I was alone and had not 
a single employee to assist me. On the 28d I was sick, 
owing to fatigue ; I had spent part of the previous 
nights on my feet. In the evening I threw myself on 
a bed ; fortunately two employees arrived who made 
a report to me and to whom I gave orders from my 
bed. During the night, as I was more oppressed than 
drowsy, the floor of the chamber adjoining that in 
which I was suddenly broke in pieces with a great 
noise. This accident proceeded from the money which 
I had deposited there ; it Avas on the ground floor and 
underneath was a cellar, fortunately not very deep: 
the floor, being too weak, had been unable to bear 
the weight of these 800,000 livres in silver. My ser- 
vant, who lay in this room, fell down the length of a 
beam, but was not hurt. 

At last, on the 25th, the intendant arrived, as well 
as M. de Villemanzy, the commissary of war. In the 
evening we had a conference with M. de Rochambeau ; 



144 



we were then in the greatest anxiety on the subject 
of subsistence. The country in which we were was 
exhausted by the Americans and laid waste by the En- 
glish ; and our troops which had made forced marches 
could not be followed by the magazines. A vessel 
forming a part of M. de Barras's squadron was an- 
chored near to us, laden with flour which it had been 
to procure at Baltimore or Annapolis, for the squadron. 
I persuaded M. de Rochambeau to ask M. de Villebrun, 
who commanded this vessel, and with whom we were 
all well acquainted, to spare us a part of this flour ; I 
undertook to draw up the letter and it had the desired 
success. I note it because M. de Rochambeau, often 
fearing to compromise himself, had on this occasion a 
sort of repugnance to writing, and this feeling was 
often injurious to him. 

On the 27th, M. de Chastellux had a very lively 
and very unbecoming scene with M. Daure, the steward 
of provisions, because there was only bread for two 
days, w^iilst he had announced enough of it for four, 
when M. de Chastellux had to commence his march 
the next day. I do not like this steward, nor, in 
general, the superintendent of the provisions, who is 
too pretentious and often hinders business by his scru- 
pulous formalities. But, at present, M. Daure was 
not at all in the wrong; without vehicles, without 



145 

wood, in a country absolutely stripped of everything, 
where it was necessary to create everything, it was 
impossible for him to do better ; and M. de Chastellux 
was not only unjust at that time, but he had not the 
manner of a philosopher or of a man of quality. 

On the 28th, the Frencli and American troops came 
in front of Yorktown, four leagues from Williamsburg, 
where Cornwallis had shut himself up with his whole 
army. They took post half a league from the city and 
invested it, which was done without opposition. I 
remained at Williamsburg, where our principal esta- 
blishments were, and where it was often necessary to 
provide for the service of the hospitals : I had 300 sick 
persons and a single employee; of these 300 sick, 10 
officers were harder to please than all the rest. 

October, 1781. I learnt that some reconnaissances 
had already been made in front of York. M. Drouillet, 
an officer of the regiment of Agenois, was wounded 
there, and a hussar of Lauzun's legion was killed. The 
English also abandoned some redoubts without resist- 
ance. On the 3d, I was five miles from Williamsburg 
at Trubell Landing to witness the hmding of our heavy 
artillery, and some other effects whicli we were im- 
patiently expecting. To day a body of English troops 
which occupied Gloucester, opposite to York, desired 
to prevent M. de Lauzun and M. de Choisy, who com- 
19 



146 

manded at this point, from occupying a position where 
they wished to encamp, M. de Lauzun charged them 
with the cavalry of the legion and drove them back ; 
it was Tarleton, a partizan, very well known in Ame- 
rica, who commanded the English ; he was wounded 
and thrown from his horse and had 50 men killed or 
wounded. We lost 3 men and 11 were wounded, 3 
of whom were officers, among whom was M. de Dillon. 

I learnt these details on the 4th, on going to the 
camp ; but I was obliged to return the same evening. 
It was already cold and I made a fire on the 5th. I 
learnt that the English admiral Digby, who was ex- 
pected from Europe with a strong squadron, had ar- 
rived with only three vessels, two of which were in a 
bad condition. We also learnt that the English had 
a vessel so much damaged in the last ensraorement with 
M. de Grasse, that they had been compelled to aban- 
don it and burn it at sea. M. de Grasse, nevertheless, 
spoke with much modesty of this engagement, and I 
heard him say that it was only an encounter between 
two advanced guards. 

On the 6th, I went to the camp in the evening. The 
trenches were open on this same day. I trembled lest 
it should be murderous, for we had not the means to 
afford assistance! I spent the evening with some 
officers of the artillery and of the engineers, who were 



147 

awaiting the result. At nine o'clock, a pretty brisk 
fire was commenced at the attack of the left. There 
we had an artillery officer dangerously wounded and 
also six grenadiers wounded. On the right there was 
a soldier wounded. I visited the ambulance and an 
especial depot which I had placed near the trenches, 
to which I had gone as near as possible. I saw the 
city perfectly well and the English flag which was float- 
ing upon the intrenchments. 

On the 7th, I returned in the evening to Williams- 
burg and continued to attend to the hospital which 
was becoming filled. It is nothing to see the unfor- 
tunate when we can render them assistance ; but it is 
cruel to be unable to aid them, and this is what I ex- 
perienced. The eflects and the employees of the hos- 
pitals had not yet arrived, and they could not have 
arrived, owing to the forced marches which we had 
made, half by land and half by water. We might at 
least have been able to land the effects indispensable 
for the service. I had made the remark. But the 
generals rarely listen to the administrators, when they 
do not themselves possess the spirit of foresight. 

I learnt, on the 8th that we had had only 5 or 6 
men wounded in the trenches. 

On the 9th we commenced discharging our batteries 
at night ; on the 10th, in the morning, the fire became 



148 

very brisk and was kept up all day ; we had artillery 
of the first class, and the Americans, for their part, had 
large cannons and displayed great activity; but they 
did not approach the perfection of our gunners, who 
were the admiration of General Washington ; it is true 
they had perfect instruments, so to speak ; the cannons 
were new and the balls perfectly suited to their calibre. 

In busying myself to-day about something connected 
with my employment, T had occasion to enter the 
trenches, in a place where a mortar-battery had 
been established, which was firing upon one of the 
redoubts of the enemy ; it replied with some howitzers 
which did no damage. I mounted this trench with 
M. de St. Simon, who commanded it, and to whom I 
had occasion to write, some days before, a pretty de- 
cided letter; we exchanged some friendly explanations. 
Some deserters from the enemy came to us, who told 
us that our fire greatly annoyed the English. According 
to their account, it was suspected that Cornwallis de- 
sired to escape ; it would have been possible for him 
to do so by passing, during the night, across to 
Gloucester, but where would he have gone ? He had 
a long journey to make to reach Carolina, where the 
English held some places ; he ran the risk of perishing 
from want. 

Next day, the 12th, our batteries set fire to an En- 
glish ship of 44 guns. 



149 

During the night of the 11th -12th, they made 
the second par<allel, which caused the wounding of 
only two or three men. I was at Williamsburg, al- 
ways busy about our sicl^ men ; I had four hundred 
of them and thirteen officers. Besides there was always 
the same want of assistance ; they required of me sup- 
plies for the ambulance, for M. de Choisy's division, 
encamped in front of Gloucester; I found myself in 
the most cruel embarrassment and on the eve of seeing 
the service fail which was especially entrusted to me. 
And that would have happened if we had not had at 
this period from two to three hundred wounded ; that 
might be. Therefore I could not think without dis- 
tress of M. de Chastellux's remarks, of whom I had 
required vehicles from the North river, only for carry- 
ing some effects, at the rate of 250 sick persons — 
"• We shall not have fifty sick ! " And already at the 
beginning of the siege we had four hundred of them. 
Fortunately I had procured some assistance, on my 
own account, which allowed me to wait a little. At 
last, on the loth, some supplies reached me which I 
made haste to send off for the army. I went thither 
myself and lay in the tent of my friend La Cheze. 
There was much firing during this night and twenty- 
three wounded men were carried to the ambulance. 
I again returned to the trenches, in a battery from 



150 

which we discovered very plainly ail York river, Glou- 
cester, the English buildings and three of our ships 
which formed the entrance to the river. 

In the evening we carried, by main force, two 
redoubts, which were captured in an instant, one by 
the French, the other by the Americans. The former 
were commanded by the Baron de Viomenil, having 
under him the younger M. de Deux Fonts ; the latter 
by M. de la Fayette, having under him M de Gimat, 
an American colonel, a Frenchman by birth. We lost 
during our attack about 30 men killed and 60 wounded, 
of whom three were officers of the regiment of Gatinois 
and M. de Lameth, assistant quarter master general 
and nephew of Marshal de Broglie. I spent two or 
three hours at the ambulance in the midst of these 
wounded, a part of whom I despatched to Williams- 
burg. At this time I had more than five hundred 
sick, of whom twenty were officers. 

I received some details respecting the attack upon 
the two redoubts. Our soldiers displayed great courage 
and liveliness. The English had about two hundred 
men in the redoubt attacked by the French ; they 
made one or two charges before abandoning it, leaving 
only thirty men in it, who surrendered at the instant 
when our party penetrated into the fort. The Ame- 
ricans met with less resistance than we and lost only 
six men. 



161 

On the 16th, I intended to go to the camp and to 
dine with General Washington, who had invited me, 
but many wounded men reached me, which compelled 
me to remain at Williamsburg. They had been in a 
sortie which the English had made on the night of the 
15th-16th, and in which at first they had been suc- 
cessful. They spiked four cannons and took a captain 
of the regiment of Agenois prisoner, but our troops 
soon rallied and the English were repulsed. Our works 
were nevertheless continued vigorously; we fired upon 
the English by ricochet, which greatly annoyed them, 
and they might have feared being captured sword in 
hand. Therefore, on the 17th, at noon, they asked 
to capitulate and the firing ceased. M. de la Cheze 
had the kindness to send me word of it immediately; 
I greatly rejoiced at it as a citizen, and also for this 
especial reason, that I perceived in this capitulation 
the end of our uneasiness respecting the service of the 
hospitals. There were still some difficulties respecting 
the articles of the capitulation ; they even recommenced 
firing. At last, on the next day, the 18th, at noon, 
everything was concluded. Cornwallis surrendered 
as prisoner of war with all his troops, amounting to a 
body of 8000 men. It was not until the next day, 
the 19th, that they defiled in front of our troops and 
the Americans. Cornwallis said that he was sick and 



152 

did not appear. The general who commanded in his 
stead wished to give up his sword to M. de Rocham- 
beau, but he made a sign to him that he ought to 
address himself to General Washington. The English 
displayed much arrogance and ill humour during this 
melancholy ceremony ; they particularly affected great 
contempt for the Americans. Being detained else- 
where by our service, I was unable to be present at this 
spectacle, which would have greatly interested me. 

On the 21st, I went to see the city of York. I 
visited our works and those of the English ; I perceived 
the effect of our bombs and balls. I made this visit 
with M. de Viomenil, who had been to see Cornwallis, 
who had not yet appeared ; he had even sent a refusal 
to Mr. Washington, who had invited him to dinner. 
M. de Viomenil invited him, and the English general 
accepted. M. de Viomenil invited me to this dinner, 
but having accepted an invitation to M. de Chastel- 
lux's, I was obliged for this day to decline. I regretted 
that I could not be present at this first meeting of 
Cornwallis with the French and American generals. 
He behaved well there and praised our troops, espe- 
cially the artillery, which he said was the first in 
Europe. 

M. de Rochambeau had gone to-day on board of 
the Ville de Paris to see M. de Grasse for the purpose 



153 

of thanking him and conferring with him ; it is certain 
that we were greatly indebted to him. But it was 
time for the siege to end. M. de Grasse spoke of going 
away. 

M. de Lauzun was entrusted by M. de Rochambeau 
with the carrying of the news of the capture of York 
to France and he embarked on the same day on the 
Surveillante. I saw him at the moment of his de- 
parture ; he perceived me, got off his horse and asked 
me what were my commands for France. 

The English and Hessian troops, prisoners of 
war, also left the camp ; they were very fine-looking 
men. There was also a battalion of English grenadiers 
of great height and good appearance. The remainder 
of the English were small ; there were some Scotch 
troops, strong and good soldiers. They proceeded 
towards Williamsburg. I went to visit their camp ; 
T saw them make their soup, go for wood, etc. The 
Germans preserved order and a certain discipline ; on 
the contrary, there was very little order among the 
English, who were proud and arrogant. There was 
no call for this ; they had not even made a handsome 
defense, and, at this very moment, were beaten and dis- 
armed by peasants who were almost naked, whom they 
pretended to despise and who, nevertheless, were their 
conquerors. ; 

20 



154 

Nothing new occurred until the 27th. Our troops 
were still at York and its vicinity. Cornwallis dined 
with General Washington and, successively, with all the 
French generals. On the 24th, M. de Deux Fonts set 
out for France on board of a frigate ; he was charged 
by M. de Rochambeau to transmit to the ministry the 
statement of the corn which he demanded for the army. 
He required of the intendant a memoir for M. de Vil- 
lemanzey and me and added to the note which the in- 
tendant had given me " an accomplished person of the 
greatest distinction. " 

The weather changed from cold to warm ; but the 
temperature was much milder than that of Rhode 
Island. The climate of Virginia is much more tem- 
perate. 

At this time the regiments which M. de Grasse had 
brought with him from our island reembarked. 

There was some conversation between the French 
and American officers. These latter seemed displeased 
at the civility shown to the English prisoners, who, 
for their part, were very attentive to us. The quarrel 
also arose from the fact that the French were forbid- 
den to purchase some goods that were in York, 
whilst liberty to do so had been allowed to the Am- 
ericans ; undoubtedly, the motive was that the latter, 
being in want of everything and badly paid, had 



155 

been desirous of being allowed to buy merchandise 
cheaply. 

November. The last of October and the first days of 
November were fine ; the nights were cool, with white 
frost; but by day the sun shone and it was even fine. 
At the same period last year at Newport we had snow 
and very sharp cold. 

The troops went into winter quarters on the first of 
November. Part remained at York; the remainder 
came to Newport^ where M. de Rochambeau estab- 
lished his head quarters. I secured a very pretty 
lodging there, where I settled myself with my friend 
La Cheze. We kept a very good house there ; and 
altogether we led a very pleasant and quiet life, but 
not very fruitful in events. Therefore my journal is 
about to become barren. 

M. de Grasse had sailed on the 4th, and the frigate 
which conveyed M. de Deux Fonts, having been de- 
layed for some time, went away on the 1st. 

On the 2 2d a pavilion took fire, which was attached 
to the hospital for the officers, then amounting to 
twenty-two, of whom several were severely wounded. 
We had time to remove them elsewhere without any 
accident and lost only a few goods. This pavilion 

' In Virginia. 



156 

was distant only 5 or 6 toises from the large hospital 
which, fortimatel}', was not reached. 

' Decemher, 17S1. Another fire broke out a short dis- 
tance from the American hospital, which was burnt 
up in a short time. A- sick soldier perished. 

Jcuniary, 1782. The weather grew warm from the 
early part of January and seemed to announce the 
spring. 

On the 5 til, we learnt the capture of St. Eustacia by 
the Marquis de Bouille. The arrival of Monsieur de 
la Mothe-Piquet at our islands and ten ships also men- 
tioned. This event and these new circumstances 
seems to promise us the peace which we began to desire. 

On the 7th, the French frigate la Sibelle anchored 
at the entrance of the bay. Having left Brest in the 
end of October, she met near the Bermudas with a 
French vessel which had informed her that the French 
army was in Virginia. She was entrusted with two 
millions for us : she brousrht the news of the birth of 

o 

a dauphin. On the same day letters reached us from 
Philadelphia, announcing the sending of a French 
corps of 4000 men to Minorca, to capture that island, 
jointly with the Spaniards. On the 10th we received 
our letters which came by the Sibelle. 

The sudden changes of the weather in this province, 
as in the north, must be injurious to agriculture; for 



157 

instance, it does not seem to me possible in such a 
climate to have olive trees and vines, which the 
warmth of the summer would recommend to the cul- 
tivator. We had cold weather on the 5th and the 
9th ; my ink and my wine froze in my chamber, 
where I had fire continually ; the next day we some- 
times had 16° above zero. 

February, 1782. At this period I finished a great 
many letters and transmitted them to the Baron de 
Viomenil, who was preparing to start for France with 
some officers on board of the frigate Hermione. She 
set sail on the 2d, at tlie same time with the frigate 
Dihgente, commanded by M. de Clumard who pro- 
ceeded to Boston and who ran aground owing to the 
fault of the pilot. M. de Clumard succeeded, with 
great difficulty, in saving himself and his crew ; twenty- 
three sailors or soldiers perished from cold and fatigue ; 
the vessel gradually disappeared and it was impossible 
to save anything from it. 

March. The news of the capture of the island of 
Saint Christopher by M. de Grasse, which was spread 
for some time past, was confirmed. Two engagements 
between M. de Grasse and Admiral Hood, in which 
we had the advantage, were also mentioned. 

The weather had the same successions of cold, snow, 
light rain and very fine weather. 



158 

M. de la Luzerne arrived at Williamsburg on the 
25tli ; I received him at dinner. He had just learnt 
from some English papers that a great convoy which 
had set out from Brest, escorted by M. de Guichen, 
had been scattered by a gale of wind and that the 
English had captured a part of them ; M. de Guichen 
had been compelled to return to Brest, which must 
have greatly delayed the projected attack upon 
Jamaica. 

April. The first days of the month were fine. I 
made a voyage to York. We had some letters which 
gave us no interesting news, except from our families. 
My wife and children were well. 

May. No occurrences. The heat began to increase. 
We received news of some engagements between M. 
de Grasse and Rodney on the 9th and 18th of April ; 
but the truth gradually came to light. M. de Roch- 
ambeau, relying upon a worthless newspaper of 
Grenada, at first had cannons fired in token of victory.^ 

Jime. But about the 20th of June we learnt that, 
on the contrary, we had met with a defeat and that 
the ViUe de Paris had fallen into the hands of the 



' I have before me the Broadside which gives the details of 
the supposed victory. It is dated at Martinique, le 11 Avril, 
1782 and is headed in hirge capitals, Detail du Combat Naval 

DE M. LE COMTE DE GrASSE AVEC l'AdMIEAL RoDTS^EY. 



159 

English.^ I had one of the severe heart-aches to which 
I am subject. 

At this period we prepared to set out for the North 
river, after being in winter quarters for eight months. 
The heat kept up between 28° and 30° from the be- 
ginning of June. 

On the 23d of June, the first division of the army 
began its march. 

July. I only started on the 4th of July with the 
fourth division, consisting of the regiment of Saintonge 
and a detachment of artillery, the whole under the 
command of M. de Custine. Baltimore was the point 
of reunion for all the troops. Our corps stopped and 
encamped on the first day at a place called Drinking 
spring, only nine miles from Williamsburg. The 
country is like the environs of this last mentioned city, 
that is to say, it is dry and covered with wood. We 
met with nothing there but Indian corn, apple trees 
and some peach trees. I saw very little tobacco there, 
although this is the chief production of Virginia, and 
the part which we were traversing, situated between 
the James river and the York river, is renowned for 



' I have elsewhere cited the account of this disastrous battle 
as given by Count de Grasse. It is in the Archives of the French 
Navy Department and inscribed J/e>/io«-e6^ c?;« Comtede Grasse, 

Nos. 15, 186 and 6, 397. 



160 



this crop ; as to wheat, I saw only one field of it in 
Virginia. 

On the loth, we lay at Bird's Tavern. The country 
seemed to me to be still worse. I was pretty well 
lodged. I was billeted at the house of some Americans, 
who received us by private contract. This is contrary 
to their laws and usages; but, generally, they submit, 
with pretty good grace, to this unpleasant duty. As 
yet I had no sick persons; I was ordered to receive 
not only those of my division, but also the sick of the 
troops which marched in advance and who were left 
for me. ^ 

,0n the 6th, we stopped at Rate4«ft^ House. The 
country is still barren and sandy. On the 7th, we 
encamped at New Kent ; it is not a village but the 
center of some scattered houses, distant from each 
other, in a county. I lodged at the house of a colonel 
whom I found rather unfriendly, like all my hosts ; 
the women also seemed to me very unsociable. All 
these people lead rather a dull life, not knowing how 
to employ or amuse themselves. The dwelhng of this 
colonel, moreover, was handsome enough and built upon 
a hill, with an agreeable prospect which is rare in 
Virginia, where the country is fiat. A branch of the 
York river runs below the house, in a valley where it 
would be possible to form meadows ; but all that is not 



161 

understood by the Virginians. This valley is also 
watered by the Pamunky, a small river which resem- 
bles that of France and likewise empties into York 
river. 

I have mentioned that we lodged in the houses of 
the Americans ; but we only asked them for shelter. 
Every one took with him his provisions, his utensils, 
a bed and sheets and we put our hosts to no expense. 
For my own part I had two wagons or covered vehicles, 
drawn by good horses, and was in want of nothing. 
At any rate this kind of life was not displeasing to me. 
After having been on the road all morning, I spent the 
evening alone and quiet, often in handsome houses, 
given up to my reflections and happy in my own way. 

On the 8th, after a long and painful march, we 
reached Newcastle ; our division encamped and re- 
mained there. The Pamunky flows alongside of this 
village. The Count de Yiomemil, who had stopped 
there with the third division, gave a ball. He was 
lodged in the house of a resident who had a handsome 
dwelling and who derived a great profit from a stallion 
which was valued at two thousand guineas. 

On the 5th, we reached Hanovertown, only fi.ve 

miles from Newcastle. This city is situated in a plain 

agreeable enough and of a pleasant appearance, where 

some handsome dwellings were seen. The principal 

21 



162 

crops still consist of Indian corn and I saw no other 
products there. I except a small quantity of ordinary 
hemp. There are in this county some rich proprietors, 
having a great number of negroes. In fact, the inhabit- 
ants of these southern provinces do not cultivate their 
estates themselves, like those of the north ; they have 
negro slaves, like our colonists in our islands, and they 
themselves lead an idle life, giving themselves no con- 
cern about anything except their table. In general, 
they are not equal to the people of the north, as re- 
gards morals and honesty, and in some respects they 
are two different peoples. 

On the 11th, we arrived at Hanover Court-House. 
I made the journey by night. In the morning, as it 
began to grow light, I was struck by the beauty of 
five or six trees, grouped together on the bank of the 
Pamunky. I dismounted to measure them and exa- 
mine them more attentively. They were twenty feet 
in circumference and about eighty feet high, and also 
straight and of handsome proportions. These trees, 
the handsomest that I have seen in America, were 
tulip trees. 

On the 12th, an encamping at Brunksbridge. It 
had rained in the night so that we were not very 
warm. The country here is less cultivated and 
less cleared than in other parts of Virginia. So the 



163 



habitations are rarer and poorer there. I was lodged 
in a house situated in the midst of the woods and 
where there are some very handsome fir-trees. I had 
not yet seen any in America of this height ; in the 
vicinity of Williamsburg the fir tree is common enough ; 
but it is of moderate height. I saw also in this place 
some handsome oaks, some fruit trees and especially 
peach trees ; the roads are fine and solid. 

On the loth, we are at Bowling Green, a dry and 
barren country, as usual. Near our encampment is a 
handsome house, with terraced gardens and some arti- 
ficial meadows in the vicinity. I saw clover mowed 
by some negro slaves, as I have mentioned. The 
dwelling house which we see has not less than eighty ; 
the species greatly multiplies there. The children, 
boys and girls, go naked until ten or twelve years 
old ; the others have nothing but a shirt or some 
miserable rags. 

On the 14th, we encamped twelve miles from Fred- 
ericksburg. I walked in the surrounding woods ; this 
country seemed to me below mediocrity, wherefore it is 
thinly inhabited. 

On the loth, our division passed through the city 
of Fredericksburg without stopping there ; it crossed 
the Rappahanock river to go and encamp on the other 
side, that is to say at Falmouth ; this town is not 



164 



much, but Fredericksburg is considerable. The Rap- 
pahanock is not very broad, very nearly as the Seine 
at Paris. We could ford it there : but for fear of ac- 
cident all the vehicles were transported upon ferry- 
boats, which are large and very convenient in Ame- 
rica. 

Mr. Washington's mother and sister reside at Fred- 
ericksburg. Our generals and several officers visited 
them. I left a hospital establishment at Falmouth ; 
we had sixty sick men there. To-day, the 15th, I 
dined at M. de Custine's. I mention it because he 
was lodged in a handsome house, situated upon a hill 
from which we perceived the course of the Rappahan- 
ock and the cities of Falmouth and Fredericksburg 
which made up a pretty brilliant prospect rather rare 
in America. 

On the 17th, the division marched ; they encamped 
near a tavern called Peton's Tavern ; the rojid to it 
is hilly, in a barren country. I went to lodge three 
miles beyond the camp in a place where the country 
was more agreeable. The house where I was is sit- 
uated in a valley where there was an orchard planted 
symmetrically ; the apple trees in it were covered with 
fruit. 

On the 18th we came to Dumfries, a little town sit- 
uated two leagues from the Potomac and which is 



165 

watered by one of its branches. I was lodged in the 
house of a young Irishwoman, twenty-six years old and 
pretty handsome ; she told me that her name was 
Margaret ^'- ''•'' * and that she was of the family of this 
name, settled in France and that she had a brother, 
John * * * in the French regiment of Walsh. Her 
husband, * ''' '•" * * * was a Scotchman ; she 
seemed far from being rich, although well lodged. 
I found her manners easy and European. She did 
not come to America until she was seventeen years 
old and she seemed to desire to leave it. In the even- 
ing I introduced to her one of her fellow countrymen, 
an Irish priest, the Abbe Lacy, the chaplain of our 
hospital, whom she received very well. 

The weather was cooler ; it seems to me that from 
this part we begin to feel a difference in the tempera- 
ture which perhaps arises from the country's being 
mountainous and intersected by numerous rivers. 

On the 19th we encamped at Colchester after having 
crossed the Occoquon, which is a branch of the Poto- 
mac. This town is small and miserable as well as the 
country. A horse had been stolen from me at Dum- 
fries. I strongly suspected the people of my amiable 
Irishwoman, about whom I learnt nothing good, any 
more than about her husband, who is considered an 
adventurer. The woman is accused of some gallantries. 



166 

which is rare in America ; besides, she was born in 
Europe. 

On the 20th we stopped at Alexandria, a city 
situated upon the Potomac, where ships of fifty guns 
can approach. This city is perfectly well situated for 
becoming commercial. Therefore they have built 
much there ; it may become considerable, still it is not 
much. General Washington's residence, that in which 
he was born, is situated between Colchester and Alex- 
andiia. Mrs. Washington had arrived there the even- 
ing before. She invited M. de Custine, who commanded 
the division to which I was attached, to go and dine 
at her house with some officers. He proposed to me 
to go thither and we proceeded thither, to the number 
of ten persons. Mrs. Washington is a woman of about 
fifty years of age ; she is small and fat, her appearance 
is respectable. She was dressed very plainly and her 
manners were simple in all respects ; she had with her 
three other ladies, her relations. As to the house it 
is a country residence, the handsomest that I have yet 
seen in America, it is symmetrically built and has two 
stories, counting the false roofs, wherein some pretty 
chambers have been constructed. All the rooms are 
furnished with taste. 

There are in the places around, many huts for the 
negroes, of whom the general owns a large number, 



167 



who are necessary to him for his large possessions, 
which are supposed to amount to ten thousand acres 
of land. (The acre is very nearly of the same extent 
as our arpent.) Among these some of good quality is 
found, and I have observed some of it of this sort. A 
large part is woodland, where Mr. Washington, before 
the war, enjoyed the pleasure of the chase, which had 
inclined him to the military life which he has since 
led. The environs of his house are not fertile and 
the trees that we see there do not appear to be large. 
Even the garden is barren. What decided the gen- 
eral's parents to choose this dwelling place is the sit- 
uation which is very handsome. The Potomac flows 
at the foot of the garden and the largest ships of war 
can anchor there. It has different branches of a kind 
of bays and in this place is about half a league broad. 
The whole make a very agreeable prospect. The 
opposite shore needs rather more houses and villages. 
Taken all together, it is a handsome residence and 
worthy of General Washington. In the evening, we 
left her respectable company after having spent a very 
agreeable and truly interesting day. 

On the 21st, we crossed the Potomac ; the camp 
was placed at Georgetown, a small town, wherein 
many German families are found. We then leave 
Virginia and enter Maryland. 



168 

On the 22d, an encampment at Bladensburg ; this 
town is small, but agreeably situated and surrounded 
by meadows; there are some handsome houses built 
upon the hill. I was very well lodged in the house of 
the judge of the place, named William Anderson ; he 
had a handsome family with whom I took tea. On the 
23d, we received the bad news of the capture of one of 
our convoys bound to the Indies and of two ships 
which were escorting it. We were all distressed at it, 
we saw peace still remote. 

On the 25th, encampment at Rose Tavern. A march 
through a country more cultivated than in Virginia, 
but still middling. I lodge at the house of a very rich 
4\^ resident named Major SWoden. His wife invited me 
to dine and seemed to me genteel, with the air of a 
good education, although she had never left her own 
country ; she had a daughter equally well bred. I 
taught them some words of French. The husband 
did not come until the evening ; I also supped with 
them. A piece of ham was served up to us, as at dinner. 
They informed me that they eat it at breakfast, 
dinner and supper. Indeed bacon is very common in 
all this region and is very good food. Major Smoden's 
house is situated near a little river called the Patuxet, 
which we crossed yesterday at a ford. 

On the 24th, encampment at Spurier's Tavern. All 



169 

this country is bad and the buildings indicate poverty. 
To-day, after dinner, I saw a humming buTl very dis- 
tinctly. I knew that they were in North America, 
and several persons had already seen them ; but this 
was the first for me. I easily recognized it from the 
description that had been given to me ; its small size, 
its quickness, its beak and its colors are remarkable ; 
it makes a noise in flying and at first one might sup- 
pose that he saw that insect which is called demoiselle 
in some provinces of France. They are not larger ; it 
has also a peculiar way in flying, that is to stop sud- 
denly without moving its wings. I also saw it place 
itself upon a shrub and very near me ; finally I had 
the pleasure of seeing it for a long time. 

On the 27th, we arrived at Baltimore, where we 
stopped, as likewise all the army. This city is situ- 
ated upon a creek which leads to the bay ; it is com- 
mercial. After Boston and Philadelphia it is the 
most important city of America. From thirteen to 
fourteen hundred houses and from eight to nine thou- 
sand inhabitants are counted there. They are build- 
ing much there and this city will become flourishing. 
V^We had caused all our sick men, as well from York as 
from Williamsburg, to be transported to it by sea ; we 
also brought a certain number of them, so that I was 
22 



170 



obliged to establish a pretty considerable hospital, a 
part of which was made of boards. 

August, 1782. It is said that peace is seriously con- 
sidered. The English then sent back a larsre number 
of American prisoners. In the meanwhile, M. de 
Vaudreuil, coming from St. Domingo, appeared in 
these seas with thirteen ships of the line and, after 
having cruised for some time, he brought to Boston 
five vessels laden with wheat and masts which he had 
taken from the English ; but one of his ships of war 
ran aground on entering the harbor of Boston and 
w^as entirely lost. The frigate I'Emeraude, coming 
from Newport to York, captured an English brig. All 
our heavy artillery left at York was brought to Balti- 
more, where we found ourselves all reunited ! But this 
was for a short time, Mr. Washington having insisted, 
notwithstanding the rumor of peace, that the army 
should make a movement. In consequence, M. de 
Luzern set out on the 23d of August and proceeded 
towards Philadelphia. The other divisions had orders 
to follow and to set out successively. I was attached 
to the last, which started on the 27th, which gave me 
a little time to recover from a tertian fever, of which 
I had a violent attack during our stay at Baltimore. 
I have, therefore, few notes respecting this city and 
what occurred while we remained there. These 



171 

fevers, moreover, were very prevalent in our army at 
this time and I believe that Baltimore is unhealthy, 
especially in the low part which I occupied and which 
borders on the marshes. I ought not to forget to 
mention that our troops were admired by the inhabit- 
ants of Baltimore for their handsome bearing and their 
manoeuvres, and, indeed, I was surprised myself that, 
after a march, so painful owing to the dust and the 
great heat, they found themselves in so good a condi- 
tion. I have not seen a better review at the camp of 
Compeigne. We had been in America nearly two years 
and our soldiers had become stronger ; we had not a 
recruit, for the men who had been sent to us from 
Europe were all disciplined and drawn from old regi- 
ments. At one manoeuvre a gun happened to be 
loaded with a bullet and a woman had her thigh 
wounded. She was an Acadian, about thirty years of 
a<ye : she was well attended to and her wound was not 
serious. I remark, on this occasion, that there is at 
Baltimore a quarter entirely composed of Acadian 
families, where they speak nothing but French. 

On the 27th we started and encamped twelve miles 
from Baltimore at Great Falls ; I made the journey 
in a cabriolet, being still very weak. 

On the 28th, a station at Burchtown. The country 
since leaving Baltimore is very thickly wooded and 



172 



little cleared ; we see upon the road many brooks and 
ponds which serve to keep some foundries going ; there 
are some districts of handsome wood ; in another, it 
has been cut down, but it does not spring up again. 

On the 29th, our division reached the banks of the 
Susquehannah, a river which empties into the Chesa- 
peake bay ; it is two miles broad at this place, so that 
all our vehicles could not cross it in the ferry boat on 
the same day and we were obliged to remain at this 
place. This river is usually crossed at a ford, two 
leagues above the place where we were ; but this 
passage is not free from difficulty and danger. It has 
been proposed to build a city on the right bank and 
near the ferry where we crossed it. It should be called 
Havre de Grace. 

On the 31st, station at the Head of Elk, a town sit- 
uated upon a small river which empties into the ba}^ 
exactly at its extremity. It is there that I embarked 
when we proceeded towards York. Elk is in a very 
dry soil ; one is drowned with dust there. Fever is 
very prevalent there, doubtless caused by the swamps 
in the vicinity. 

September, 1782. On the 1st of September we en- 
camped at Newport, a small town situated on a creek, 
which communicates with the Delaware and is navi- 
gable. Newport is in the state of Delaware ; we 



173 

leave Maryland between this town and the Head of 
Elk. This district is pretty well cultivated ; but the 
land there is equally poor and sandy. 

On the 2d, encampment at Chester, a small borough 
situated on the Delaware, fifteen miles from Philadel- 
phia and in Pennsylvania. Half way between New- 
port and Chester we meet with Wilmington which be- 
longs to Delaware, and where the assemblies of this 
state are usually held. This city, built of brick, a 
mile from the Delaware, is as large as Williamsburg 
and capable of growth. A mile from this city we 
find the Brandywine, of which I have already spoken, 
famous for the battle which the English gained there 
over General Washington ; for he has lost some bat- 
tles, but, like Coligny, he seemed greater after defeats 
and has never been discouraged. 

The Brandywine is also remarkable for its large 
water mills, which the grain of Pennsylvania supports. 
In this district, and especially below Chester, the Dela- 
ware makes swamps of the water left by the sea upon 
this shore, which is very low. 

On the 3d we were at Philadelphia. M. de la Lu- 
zern, who was still there as ambassador of France, 
offered me a lodging at his house, which I accepted ; 
I remained there until the 5th. 

On the 6th we proceeded to Trenton where the army 



174 



was concentrated into two. divisions, instead of four. 
I remained attached to the hist. I was not entirely 
recovered from my Baltimore fevers ; therefore after 
having run about and attended to my official duty, as 
soon as I arrived at the lodfrinsr which was intended 
for me, I rested and kept quiet. Thus, my journal 
was almost laid aside. I will only say that we were 
not far from New York. We marched in military 
manner as ftir as the banks of the North river, where 
we arrived on the 15th. I had some ojood lod2;ino; 
places, and especially in [New] Jersey, where there 
are many Dutch families. I lived alone there and 
was happy. In this province, I also heard an inhabitant 
mentioned, named Blanch ard. It was then said that 
M. de Suffren had defeated the English in the Indian 
ocean. 

On the 16th, I crc ssed the North river and caused 
my sick men, amounting to more than a hundred, to 
be taken across. I placed them in the Peekskill 
temple, where I had already established hospitals in 
the previous year. In going to it, I passed near the 
camp of the Americans, who then formed a body of 
six thousand men ; almost all of them were clothed 
and in uniforms ; their camp was adorned with leaves, 
which presented an agreeable appearance. 

Our troops also crossed the North river and the head 



175 

quarters were established at Peekskill. The American 
troops were made to manoeuvre in our presence, and 
they seemed very well drilled ; it was the work of five 
or six months; for, a year ago, these troops were 
utterly disorganized and withoutany sort of instruction. 
This proves that we probably attach too much impor- 
tance to our manoeuvres, especially certain colonels of 
excessive zeal. It is Baron Steuben, a German by 
birth and a oeneral in the service of America, who 
had contributed the most to forming and exercising 
the American troops.-^ 

On the 20th we learnt that the Gloire, a frigate 
coming from France, had happily arrived at Philadel- 
phia. The Aigle, another frigate, which accompanied 
her, under the command of M. Desouches, being 
pursued by the English, had been desirous of going 
through a place wliere the Gloire had not met with 
any accident ; but, apparently, drawing more water, 
she touched upon a sandbank and ran aground. They 
had time to send the money and the passengers ashore ; 
but the English captured the frigate, the crew and 



I The Biognipliy of Steuben {Lehen Von 8teuhen,\^eYY\\\, 1858), 
and also that of de Kcdh have been written by tlie Hon. Frederic 
Kapp, member of the imperial German parliament, with rare 
pains and impartiality. Translations of both of these interesting 
books have been published at New York. 



170 

the captain. Considering the frigate too much dam- 
aged, they set fire to it. The passengers who arrived 
by this frigate were the Baron de Viomenil, the Duke 
de Lauzun, and the Marquis de Laval, who had left 
us after the siege of York, the Prince de Broglie, the 
Marquis de Segur and some other young people of the 
court, who came to America for the first time. Some 
days before, the two frigates had had a glorious en- 
gagement with a ship of seventy-four guns. 

On the 22d, in the evening, we had our letters. 
As to political news, always an uncertainty respect- 
ing the peace ; some projects as to Gibraltar, the de- 
parture of the Count d' Artois for this place and the 
war of Geneva. 

On the 24tli, our army proceeded to Crampond, 
about nine miles from Peekskill ; that of General 
Washington, being encamped upon the banks of the 
North river, made no movement. I remained at 
Peekskill, not being attached to the moving hospital 
near the army, which was then near to Peekskill, to 
have the sick forwarded to it. 

Octoher, 1782. The army remained in this position 
about a month. Putting it in motion was several 
times under consideration, and I believe that General 
Washington desired it ; he had the siege of New York 
always in view, but he needed additional forces. 



177 

Finally, it was decided that our troops should ap- 
proach Boston. It began to be said that we were 
about to embark upon M. de Yaudreuil's squadron, and 
proceed to the West Indies or some other point. This 
idea caused a fermentation in men's minds and es- 
pecially in mine ; for I desired nothing so much as to 
go to Saint Domingo to see my uncle. 

The first division left the camp of Crampond on the 
22d, and the second, on the following day. They 
stopped at Salem, which is also in the province of 
New York. I write this on the 23d and the weather 
is so fine that I am working in my shirt sleeves ; to 
night I shall be obliged to put on garment over gar- 
ment. 

I had divined it, for it is very cold to-day, the 21th. 
I was obliged to get off my horse and walk on foot to 
keep myself warm. At the end of some miles we 
found ourselves in the road which I had passed over 
eighteen months before We passed by Richbury and 
stopped at Danbury ; it is a pretty large town where, 
three or four years ago, the English committed great 
disorders, which are still visible. There are some 
pretty valleys in the neighborhood, some hills and 
rocks which remind me of Pegou near Angers. 

I believe that I ought to mention here a rather re- 
m-arkable occurrence that happened to M. de Roch- 
23 



178 



ambeau soon after his departure from Crampond. His 
host, named Delavan, who was said to be of French 
origin, demanded a considerable compensation from 
him for some damage that the army had done him by 
encamping upon his property ; his demand was ex- 
orbitant, it needed examination ; but this man was 
unwilling to wait, he complained to the judge of the 
county and to the sheriff; the latter in coniormity with 
the laws made his appearance to arrest M. de Roch- 
ambeau and, for that purpose, touched him on the 
shoulder. All those who were present desired to take 
him away ; but M. de Rochambeau replied that he 
would conform to the laws of the country and he de- 
parted after giving security. However the plaintiff's 
charges were examined and reduced to on(!-half by the 
people of the country, but faithfully paid.-" This in- 
cident shows the power of the law among the Ameri- 
cans and the good temper of M. de Rochambeau. I 
lodged at Salem in tlie house of the constable who ar- 
rested M. de Rochambeau. I did not know it then ; 
he received me very well and niade me take tea with 
him. He was a little old man, pretty lively. He had 
a daughter, not handsome and very familiar ; one 
thing which shows this familiarity, but the American 



Paid by Rochambeau, we must understand. 



179 



manners at the same time, is, that having met her in 
the kitchen, she told me that she had left her room 
where the chimney smoked ; I proposed to her to 
come into that which had been given to me. She 
agreed to it and remained there for a long time ; 
sometimes we conversed, at other moments she suffered 
me to write and attend to my business. 

On the 25th, our division proceeded to Newtown, a 
small town which I have mentioned, situated upon a 
hill whence the view is pretty agreeable. On the 27th, 
we took up our march for Breakneck : 1 met again, 
after more than a year, with all the places that I had 
passed through. 

On the 28th, at Baron's Tavern, in a tolerably fer- 
tile valley which extends as far as Hartford. It is 
one of the best parts of America ; so we found more 
readily what we needed, for instance, straw. 

On the 29th, my division stopped at Farmington, 
and I proceeded to Hartford. There I saw M. de 
Tarle, who confirmed to me the report of our approach- 
ing embarkation upon M. de Vaudreuil's squadron, to 
proceed to our colonies without a precise knowledge of 
our destination. He told me that I would embark 
with the troops and that they would give me another 
commissary of war as assistant. M. de Rochambeau 
also spoke to me to the same purpose. 



180 

On the 30th and 31st, the weather was frightful and 
the rain continual. The arui}' remained at Hartford. 
I lodged at East Hartford, which is, in some sort, a 
second city upon the left bank of the Connecticut 
river. This country is very populous and entirely 
cleared ; the soil is also good, and yet I suspect that 
the cultivation of it could be increased. 

The army resumed its march on the 4th, in two 
divisions; it stopped at Boston on the 5th, at Windham 
on the 6th and at Canterbury on the 8th. On the 
9th, the army proceeded to Watertown, where I saw 
the inn, Dorancy Tavern, of which the Chevalier de 
Chastellux gives so handsome a description in his 
travels, printed and well embellished. Moreover, the 
two young ladies of whom he speaks were no longer 
there and they both had houses of their own. 

The inhabitants of this province, generally speaking, 
are more affable and more lively than those of Virginia. 
Our troops, upon arriving in their camp, 

[Here there is a blank in the original manuscript.] 

On the 11th we were at Providence, where I had 
spent so much time in 1780 and 1781. The entire 
army was quartered there until M. de Vaudreuil's 
squadron, in which we were to embark, was ready. 

The artillery went first and set out for Boston, where 
it arrived on the 18th. I had already gone over this 



181 

road, which is a fine one ; we pass thereon through 
different vilhiges and frequently meet with houses on 
it ; yet the Land there is pretty middling ; it is the 
cattle, whom they feed there partly with maize, and 
some iron-works that make up the principal abundance 
of the country. 

The next day I dined at the house of the consul, 
M. de I'Etombe. In the evening I was presented there 
to M. de Vaudreuil, and I worked during a part of the 
day with his son, the Chevalier de Vaudreuil, who 
served him as major. 

On the 21st, there was a dinner at which I was 
present, given by Mr. Brick,^ a wealthy American to 
M. de Vaudreuil and to several navy officers. 

On the 22d I went to see the Commandeur Coriolis 
d' Espinousse, a relation of my wife and the chief 
of the squadron ; he was residing five or six miles 
from Boston until his departure for France whither 
his health obliged him to return. 

The Count de Rochambeau had transferred the com- 
mand of the army to the Baron de Viomenil and set 
out on the first of December for Philadelphia, where 
he was to embark to return to France. M. de Chas- 



' I have not succeeded in ascei'taining who was the gentleman 
thus characterized as a " Brick." 



182 



tellux also started. Our troops arrived at Boston suc- 
cessively on the 3d, 4th and 5th of December ; and 
they encamped in the order that they arrived. The 
weather was very fine, so that Dr. Cooper, the pomp- 
ous protestant clergyman whom I have mentioned be- 
fore, said " Heaven smiles upon the troops of France." 

We then learnt that the expedition against Gibral- 
tar had been unsuccessful. 

On the i2th, the members of the assembly of Bos- 
ton ^ came to congratulate the Baron de Viomenil, who 
received them in the midst of a large number of of- 
ficers, of whom I was one. The spokesman, Mr. 
Samuel Adams, a respectable old man, spoke very 
spiritedly. His discourse and M. de Viomenil's reply 
were inserted in the public papers. On the same day 
the assembly gave a great dinner to M. de Vionienil 
and the principal officers of the army. It was Mr. 
Hancock, at that time the governor of the state, who 
presided at it. 

On the 13th, in company with M. de Viomenil, I 
again went to see the Commandeur Coriolis d' Espi- 
nousse. We were in a boat; but the wind became 
so violent and contrary that we returned upon some 
bad horses which they had the kindness to procure for 



' Massachusetts must be meant. 



183 

us in the district. Before reaching Boston we had to 
cross an arm of the sea which was half a league wide. 
It was so agitated that we were covered with water, 
and it was so cold that the water froze upon us. We 
were in danger, the water entered the boat in which 
we were, which our affrighted horses shook still more. 
But, some days afterwards, we returned thither to 
dine. He was making preparations to return to 
France, on board of a frigate wherein, upon my re- 
commendation, he granted a passago to two persons. 

We thought of starting on about the 20th ; but we 
were still at Boston on the 2 2d, in consequence of 
some delays. The 22d was a Sunday; I mention it 
because, having walked through the city, I saw no one 
there. The inhabitants were in the temples or retired 
in their own houses ; they do not allow the least re- 
creation and do not visit. Moreover, this is the same 
almost everywhere in America. At Providence some 
amiable women, of a lively disposition, at whose houses 
I called, were even unwilling to sing on Saturday 
evening. In the month of September last, a pretty 
singular occurrence befel me, on going from Philadei- 
phia to the North river, which proves this great strict- 
ness. Some officers came to see me on a Sunday and 
I proposed to them to play a game of revereis ; the 
mistress of the house where I was lodging entered the 



184 



room angrily and wished to snatch the cards from us. 
I had difficulty in quieting her and was obliged to 
have her told by the chaplain of the hospital, an Irish 
priest who spoke English, that it was not contrary to 
the principles of our religion to play cards on Sunday. 

Boston is reckoned to contain 25,000 inhabitants. 
Its size is about that of Angers. The houses are 
mostly of brick, the streets are pretty wide and well 
laid out, especially the main street. There are also 
some unsightly quarters which give Boston an appear- 
ance less modern than Philadelphia and the other 
cities of America. 

I have already mentioned that several families of 
the name of Blanchard are found there. One, very 
rich, of French origin, went from Rochelle to America 
after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Many 
families belonging to Rochelle did the same ; for there 
is a village in New York entirely built by the Roch- 
ellois. It is called New Rochelle.^ Our army was 
pretty near to it m 1781 and several of our officers 
went to it. 



' Jimc 5, 1751. Joseph Shippen (afterwards colonel and sec- 
retary to the Province of Penn.) writes to his father, that 
President Burr (of tlie College of New Jersey) advises him to 
go to New Rochelle to pass some months for the purpose of 
perfecting himself in French. 3I^S. in the possession of Hon. 
J. C. G. Kennedy of Washington. 



185 

^ At this time mention was made of a man who had 
killed his wife and his children and afterwards him- 
self. These crimes are rare in America and this was 
the only one that I heard of during all my stay. 

On the -3d of December 1782 I went on board of 
the Triomphant, with M. de Viomenil, and on the 24th 
the whole squadron, carrying the army, set sail and 
left the harbor of Boston ; the channel is narrow 
and has little depth ; so that we were not without un- 
easiness. Our pilot himself did not appear to be quite 
composed and incessantly repeated " to rig." How- 
ever, we fortunately got through ; one only of the 
transport ships, the Warwick, was shattered upon the 
rocks on setting sail ; happily, there were no troops 
on board. We were to cruise as high up as Ports- 
mouth, a pretty good port beyond Boston, where two 
ships of wav were which were to rejoin us and then to 
cruise alongside of Rhode Island in order to meet with 
the Fantasque, a vessel armed e/i fiate, to the wind. 
The bad weather changed these designs ; we could 
not, without danger, remain upon these coasts exposed 
to being cast away upon them or driven upon sand 
banks. 

On the 27th, the frigate Iris left us, to proceed to 
France. On the same day we lost sight of our convoy 
and our frigate. Moreover, every vessel carried a 
24 



186 



sealed package pointing out the general destination of 
the squadron. 

We thus found ourselves reduced to ten ships of 
war. 





Guns 


Commanders 


The Triomphant, 


80 


M\'. de Vaudreuil, 


The Coronne, 


80 


Mitton, 


The Neptune, 


74 


Daltains, 


The Northumberland, 


74 


Medine, 


The Brave, 


74 


Damblimon, 


The Souverain, 


74 


Glandeves, 


The Bourgogne, 


74 


Champmartin, 


The Due de Bourgogne, 


80 


Charette, 


The Citoyen, 


74 


Dethis, 


The Hercule, 


74 


Chv De Bros. 



The vessels remaining at Portsmouth and which 
were to start were the Auguste, of 80 guns, com- 
manded by the Chevalier de Vaudreuil's brother, and 
the Pluton, commanded by M. d' Albert de Riom ; 
they had with them the Amazone, a frigate which M. 
de r Aiguille, the brother of the major of the squad- 
ron, commanded, and the Clairvoi/aute, Pache, com- 
mander. The weather was so bad in the first days 
that it wns impossible for me to write, the rather as I 
had not a room and slept with thirty officers in the 



187 



main cabin. I ate also at M. de Vauclre nil's table 
where we had ten or twelve. The rolling was so 
great during the first days that we were obliged to eat 
upon the floor. 

January, 1783. To-day, January the 8th, we are 
at present in 27° ; the heat is very great. Our des- 
tination is still a mystery, I do not even know if we 
have a positive one. One circumstance would make 
me believe so. We were joined on the 5th by a ves- 
sel which left Boston five or six days after us and 
which brought a letter from the consul to M. de Vau- 
dreuil. This informed him that, shortly after our de- 
parture, an aid-de-camp of M. de Rochambeau had 
arrived, bringing some letters which he had been 
afraid to trust to this little vessel, but which he had 
sent to Portsmouth to be brought to us by the ships 
of war which were there and which were to rejoin us. 
He also mentioned that a frigate commanded by M. 
de Capellis had just arrived from France in the Dela- 
ware, after a passage of forty-five days ; she, doubtless, 
brought orders from the court, which, perhaps, would 
have modified our route. 

January V^th. The difficulty of finding a place for 
writing, prevents my keeping my journal regularly. 
To-day I have the means and I profit by it. We are 
near Porto Rico, an island belonging to the Spaniards. 



188 



We cruise there to collect the merchantmen and trans- 
ports from which we were separated. Many have 
already rejoined us. We have chased two English 
frigates without success. Our prizes at present con- 
sist of only two brigs. According to their account 
and that of a frigate, the Aigrette, commanded by 
Cabanis, and the cutter, the Malin, commanded by 
Beauvais, anchored at Saint John of Porto Rico, the 
English are cruising with sixteen ships of the line 
alongside of the cape of Saint Domingo, from which 
we were not far distant ; we had only ten vessels, 
therefore the match was not equal. On the other 
hand, they told us that the question of peace is under 
consideration. However we prepared to leave our 
cruising ground, to reach I know not what point, 
which M. de Vaudreuil keeps a secret. It seems to be 
a place of meeting agreed upon with the Spanish tleet. 

Although we are still in the latitude of 20°, we do 
not find the heat too powerful. The sun is intense, 
but refreshing winds almost always prevail. On cross- 
ing the tropic, we had the usual ceremony. It is the 
carnival of the sailors, to whom it brings in some 
money. 

Here is the staff of the Triomphant which I have 
not yet given. 

M. de Yaudreuil, chief of the squadron. 



189 



Montcabier, flag-officer. 

The Chevalier de I'Aiguille, major. 

The ChevaUer de Grimaldi, adjutant. 

The Chevalier de Viola, adjutant. 

The Chevalier de la Panouse, of the marines, assist- 
ant adjutant. 

Repentigny and Desson, lieutenants. 

Delange, Panat and Belzin, ensigns. 

Mandat, de Dussus, le Pont and Moucheron, officers 
of the marines. 

Three auxiliary officers and three officers of the 
regiment of Medoc, keeping garrison in the ship, who, 
with the officers who were passengers, made 55 persons. 

The soldiers and sailors were in proportion, so that 
there were more than eleven hundred persons on board 
of this ship. We also had on board the famons Paul 
Jones, who had asked permission to embark on board 
of us and who behaved with great propriety. 

At last we learnt, in the last days of January, that 
it was at Porto Cabello, in New Spain, Province of 
Caraccas, that we were to put into port. In order to 
reach it we were compelled to cruise for a long time 
between Curagoa and New Spain. This is only a dis- 
tance of ten leagues and is not free from danger. 
Bottom is easily found there and these channels were 
unknown to us. Our Spanish pilot did not appear to 



190 

be acquainted with them. The island of CuraQoa be- 
longs to the Dutch ; we went sufficiently near to it to 
have a good view of it. It is seven leagues in length, 
the city seemed pretty and announces that cleanliness 
which distinguishes the Dutch. One evening we ap- 
proached the coast so closely that a cannon was fired 
from the land to inform us of the danger which we 
were running. 

February.^ 1783. On the 8th, several of our ships 
were obliged to put into port at Cura9oa, and we also 
found ourselves separated from the convoy which we 
had brought from Porto Rico. We were joined by a 
French lugger, the captain of which came on board of 
us. He informed us that the Bourgogne, a ship of 
74 guns, which was a part of our squadron and of 
which we had lost sight on the night of the 3d and 
4th of February, had struck upon a sand bank, two 
leagues from the Spanish coast, without being able to 
get off. This lugger had been dispatched from Porto 
Rico to bring assistance to the shipwrecked vessel and 
had indeed succeeded, with a frigate and a small 
Spanish vessel in saving three hundred men who had 
remained on board of this ship, entirely destitute of 
succor and food, for the vessel was half swallowed up 
and was gradually sinking in the sand bank. This 
captain told us that all the officers had perished in 



191 

endeavoring to land by means of long boats and rafts. 
As among these otiicers there were twenty of the regi- 
ment of Bourbonnois, and as we also had several of 
the same regiment on board of the Triomphant, who 
had relations and friends on board of the shipwrecked 
vesseP (I myself had my brother-in-law in it!) as in short 
we were exposed to the same danger on this unknown 
coast, this news was a clap of thunder for us all. Yet 
there are some doubts still as to the loss of the crew 
and we impatiently waited to land in order to know 
the truth. At last, on the night of the 10th, we ar- 
rived at Porto Cabello, where we anchored. 

Since morning, we had perceived the high moun- 
tains which overlook this port and which do not pre- 
sent an agreeable appearance. The next day we 
landed and paid a visit to the assistant commandant 
of the Province of Caraccas, to the commandant of 
the city and to the administrator, the delegate of the 
intendant, who resides at Caraccas, the capital of the 
province. 

We dined on the 12th at the house of M. de Nava, 
the assistant commandant of the province. The 
dinner, well cooked and abundant, composed of French 



^ The Chevalier de Coiiolis, whose account of the loss of the 
Due de Bourgogne, and the sufferings of the survivors has been 
printed by M. La Chesnais in the Henue Militalre Frangais. 



192 



and Spanish ragouts, was served on rich silverware. 
The city consists of nothing but huts, without orna- 
ment, without hangings, without furniture and only 
one story high. The commandant's house had sev- 
eral, with 1 irge rooms, but all quite bare. 

At length we learnt from an officer of the regiment 
of BourbonnoiS, saved from the shijjwreck of the 
Bourgogne, and who arrived to-day, that only four 
officers were lost, of whom my brother-in-law was not 
one. I had the pleasure of seeing him the next day ; 
he had saved himself upon a raft. There was much 
disorder in this affiiir and the captain and some of the 
officers will always be reproached for abandoning the 
vessel and leaving three hundred soldiers and sailors 
in it. 

After the above mentioned day, the 12th, I took up 
my quarters on shore, as likewise the superior officers 
of the army ; the troops remained' on board. My du- 
ties did not amount to much, the whole being on ac- 
count of the navy. My service consisted in keeping 
the army-chest, and remitting money to the diffi^rent 
persons attached to the staff of our army, either as 
employees or officers. 

The heat here is excessive. Porto Cabello is only 
the port of entry of the commercial company of Car- 
accas, situated thirty leagues from here. This com- 



193 

pany deals especially in cocoa, and that of Caraccas is 
considered the hest. It is also an excellent harbor ; 
the largest shi[)s anchor at the qnay. The country 
would be able to furnish the best products of our 
ishind, if it were cultivated ; but the Spaniards are as 
lazy here as in their native country. I have visited 
some residences in the viciuity. I have seen there 
the most beautiful trees, palms, citrons, oranges, ba- 
nanas and cocoa-nuts ; I have eaten some delicious pine- 
apples there Several of our officers went to Carac- 
cas, a pretty considerable city where there is good 
society, and some very rich people. A bishop resides 
there who has a considerable revenue. 

March, 1783. The heat is excessive ; almost all the 
persons who lodge on shore became sicl<:, and I was so 
myself; my domestics likewise. De la Cheze's servant 
died of fever, accompanied by vomiting. At last, on 
the 24th of March, the frigate Andromaque arrived at 
Porto Cabello and brought us official information of 
the certainty of peace. The news was received with 
delight. From this I except some little ambitious 
grandees who think of nothing but themselves and 
their own advantage. This peace, advantageous to 
France, was disastrous to England, and it seemed to 
all that if the former knew how to avail herself of this 
25 



194 



prosperity, she might recover the superiority in Europe 
to which England pretended. 

At last we thought of leaving Porto Cabello, which 
was becoming more and more injurious to our health. 
On the 2d of April I went on board of the Triomphant, 
with all my effects, where we again met with the 
same officers ; there was no one in addition to them 
except the Chevalier de Roquelaure, an ensign, 
from the Bourgogne. On the 2d, I went to dine on 
board of the Souverain, commanded by M. de Glan- 
deves, whom I had known in Corsica, an officer re- 
spectable for his accomplishments and talents. On 
the od, the squadron sailed, except the Triomphant, 
the Auguste and the Nereide, which did not set sail 
until the -Ith. Having learnt that M. de Vaudreuil 
granted the frigate Amazone to the Count de Segur, 
in order to proceed directly to Port-au-Prince or to 
Jacmel, in the island of Saint Domingo, where he had 
a house (the squadron was to put into port at Saint 
Domingo, but at the cape) . I obtained permission to go 
on board of the Amazone with M. de Segur. We had 
a very good wind and made a hundred leagues in three 
days. All this time was pleasant for us. M. de Gas- 
ton, the captain, treated us very well ; he had with 
him two or three amiable officers and M. de Segur, 
really a man of wit, a poet and an interesting story 



195 



teller, who added much animation to the conversation. 
We also had M. Berthier, an officer of the staff of the 
army, who accompanied M. de Segur. The officers 
of the navy were, with M. de Gaston, Da petit 
Thouars, his mate ; he is from Saumur ; he is an odd 
young man, but intellectual, zealous and devoted to 
his calling ; La Mothe Guillonnais, an ensign, and 
Boulen, an officer of marines, besides two auxiliary 
officers. There were also three officers of the resri- 
ment of the Cape, with a detachment from this corps 
which was in garrison there. 

On the 8th, in the morning, we discovered the 
coast of St. Domingo ; it was the point of Salines 
in the Spanish part, forty leagues from the place 
where we were to land ; this point semed to be unculti- 
vated and uninhabited. We were almost becalmed 
on this day, and we made very little headway the 
next day. 

On the 9th, we perceived at the distance of three 
leagues a fleet of thirty sails, several of which were 
ships of war. We concluded that they were English 
on their way to the Windward islands and Jamaica ; 
that was the route. Hostilities had not ceased in 
these seas until after the 3d. 

On the lltli, we had advanced very little, having 
no wind except at intervals ; we were, however, pretty 



196 



near the coast ; it is mountainous and we did not per- 
ceive many inhabitants. 

On the 12th, having sent a boat ashore to a little 
town which was in sight, we learnt that we were at 
Jacmel. M. de Segur, M. Berthier and myself pro- 
ceeded to it in a boat at four o'clock in the afternoon. 
It is a small town of about fifty houses, where there is, 
nevertheless, a military commandant, at whose house 
we were put on shore. M. de Segur, being desirous of 
setting out that evening, the commandant procured 
some saddle-horses for us, and we started, after supper, 
at eight o'clock for Leoiirane, which is fourteen leagues 
distant. The road is mountainous, bordered by preci- 
pices, cut up by torrents and very picturesque. It 
was beautiful, clear moonlight, so that we enjoyed the 
spectacle ; a negro served as our guide ; he went on 
foot ; as he was tired and I had the best horse, he 
mounted behind me. A league before arriving at 
Leogane, we found a vast plain where there were seve- 
ral dwelling houses. We observed that of M. Michel, 
called the Barbot residence. It was five o'clock in 
the morning and daylight when we arrived at Leo- 
gane. This town is small, but pretty, with a hand- 
some square. We dined at the house of M. de 
Theridan, who procured carriages for us to proceed to 
Port-au-Prince, distant seven leagues. We performed 



197 

this journey in three hours and a half and arrived at 
Port-au-Prince at nine o'clocli at night. We stopped 
at the door of a hirge inn and I had not yet got out of 
the coach when an inhabitant approached. I recog- 
nized my uncle whom I embraced with transports of 
joy. He took me to the house of one of his friends, 
M. Prieur, whose house was in the neighborhood and 
where they were at supper when the noise of the car- 
riage attracted his attention. In the evening he took 
me to his residence, situated a league from Port-au- 
Prince. 

On the next day, the 14th, the Count de Segur, for 
whom my uncle had sent to the city, arrived and 
shortly afterwards departed for his residence, which 
was in the neighborhood. On the 16th, my uncle 
gave a great dinner of thirty covers in honor of him, 
which was aduiirably served by some negroes and 
negresses, making a very good appearance, the women 
in white with a kind of hoop-petticoats. This dinner 
was returned to us on the 19th and we visited M. de 
Segur's residence. 

I pass over the recollections, altogether personal, of 
my stay at St. Domingo. They interest only my 
children to whom I have often related them. 

The Cape is a city with broad and straight streets, 
but the houses of which have only a ground-floor. 



198 

They are of wood and the windows are without glass. 
Their appearance is not very agreeable. Even the 
greater part of the single storeys are not ceiled, in 
order to give more air, so that we see the woodwork 
and the roof which is of small boards. A few houses 
are covered with slates. There is, besides, much build- 
ing and the city grows every day. It is deficient from 
the want of quays, which are entirely wanting. The 
church is neat and large. 

On going to see one of my uncle's neighbors, we 
found him engaged in flogging one of the negroes, who 
had been detected in a fault. However, all the in- 
habitants do not treat them harshl}^, and some are 
even very good to them. But if more correct ideas 
are entertained in the colonies respecting the condition 
of the slaves, who are often treated with humanity, 
this condition is none the less cruel. I know that 
there is no registry kept of their birth and that they 
are not taken to church to be baptized ; the most part 
have no religious principles which no one takes the 
trouble to give them. 

At last, I had to leave, and I proceeded to the Cape 
where the squadron was assembled. There T found 
the Baron de Viomenil, with whom I was to be em- 
ploj'ed. I also saw again my brother-in-law, Baptiste 
de Coriolis. I had hardly time to seethe Cape, which 



199 

is a considerable city, witli stone houses, of two 
storeys. Much was said at this time of the visit which 
had been paid to this city, a few days before, by Prince 
Wilham,^ the son of the king of Enghuid. 

On the 30th of April, I embarked upon the North- 
umberland, with M. de Vaudreuil and the Baron de 
Viomenil. Our squadron consisted of eight vessels 
only. The Couronne, the Triomphant and the Sou- 
verain received orders to proceed to Toulon and were 
not to start until some days after us. M. de Medine 
commanded the Northumberland and the other officers 
were : 

Le Veneur, lieutenant. 

Gombaut, Vasselot and Chauvigny, ensigns. 

Bossard, lieutenant of a frigate and auxiliary officer. 

Mouton, pilot with the brevet of lieutenant of a fri- 
gate. 

Belfonds, St. Pair and de Baunay, officers of marines. 
We had very nearly the same officers as on the Triom- 
phant, with the addition of M. de Segur. 

On the 2d of May, we were still only ten leagues 
from the Cape. Calms prevailed which delayed us. On 
the morning of the 4th we were in the latitude of 
Cap-Aux-Sables, one of the Turks' islands ; we had 



1 Afterwards William TV. 



200 

doubled them all before noon. This part of St. Do- 
mingo is encompassed by a multitude of islands. We 
were uncomfortable enough on board. I rented the 
cabin of our boatswain, situated on the poop in a good 
air, and I thus had a corner to write in, to retire to 
and to be alone, which is very agreeable. Thus I 
never was so comfortable on board, my room was my 
happiness. I was at liberty to go to bed when I 
wished to ; it is usually early. I also rose at day- 
break, then I went to walk upon the deck, where there 
were not many persons, and to breathe the fresh air. 
I then breakfasted with Caraccas cocoa. I dressed 
myself and remained in my room until ten or eleven 
o'clock ; I then went down into the council-cabin, 
where tlie time was spent in conversing until dinner 
time. I ate. with eight or ten persons, at M. de Vau- 
dreuil'b table ; we lived well. After dinner, I made 
up my party, I returned to my room, I conversed. 

On the 9th, towards night, in ordinary weather, we 
saw, at about half a league from us, a water-spout, or 
otherwise a column of water which rose from the sea 
in a cloud or which fell into it out of a cloud. We 
distinctly saw the column of water, the motion of the 
sea and of the water to the point of connection be- 
tween the column and the sea; this column appeared 
to rise. 



201 



On the 14th of May, we were in sight of the Ber- 
mudas. They are a string of several ishands which 
may be about ten leagues in length ; they belong to 
the English. The climate there is mild, and these 
islands are reputed to be healthy. The English send 
their sick thither to recover their health ; there is, 
however, no harbor for ships of war ; but they are 
an asylum for merchantmen and a place of resort for 
pirates. 

After this period, nothing remarkable occurred. 
On the 16th of June, we perceived that the color of 
the water was changing, which showed that we were 
approaching land, although, according to our reckon- 
ing, we ought to be a hundred leagues from Brest. 
Between two and three o'clock we found bottom at 
eighty-five fathoms. It was supposed that we were 
forty leagues from Ouessant. 

On the 17th, at eight o'clock, a sailor, who was in 
the tops, cried out " Land !" but it was the allurement 
of some louis which M. de Viomenil had promised to 
whomsoever should announce it first that made him 
see it; for we again proceeded for more than three 
hours without discovering anything. At last, shortly 
after noon, M. de Medine himself, the captain of the 
ship, saw a breaker, which was perceived and signaled 
at the same time by some other vessels. We imme- 
26 



202 

diately ran up. This breaker i.s known by the name 
of The Saints ; it is situated at the entrance of the 
harbor, and is a very dangerous rock. We were a 
a league from it and it was time to tack about. An 
hour afterwards we saw the land quite distinctly. At 
last, at three o'clock we were in the harbor of Brest. 
Boats were immediately launched in the sea and we 
repaired to land. It was a great satisfaction ; but the 
matters of business to which I was obliged to attend, 
on my arrival, and which were already occupying me, 
prevented my feeling this joy so vividly. 

We found fires in almost all the houses and warmed 
ourselves with pleasure. I was obliged to remain at 
Brest until the 2d of July, 1783. I bought a carriage 
and horses and set out by short stages. I did not ar- 
rive at Rennes until the evening of the 6th ; I spent 
a day there and was at Angers on the ^th at noon. 
My brother, whom I had notified, was awaiting me ; I 
passed through the city without stopping and pro- 
ceeded immediately to Echarbot. I found my wife 
and children on the road. I do not speak of the 
pleasure which I felt on seeing my family again, after 
an absence of more than three years. These emotions, 
these feelings cannot be described. 



INDEX. 



Acadians at Baltimore, 171. 
Adains, Samuel, 181. 
Adolphe, 48. 
Alley, 110. 

Anderson, Judge William, 167. 
Andre, Major, 68, 70, 128. 
Arbuthnot, Admiral, 17, 24, 60. 
Arnold, Benedict, 68, 70, 76, 90, 94, 
128, 130. 

Beaudoin (Bowdoin), 49. 

Beaudoin, Lieut. Colonel, 76. 

Beauvais, 187. 

Belfonds, 198. 

Belzin, 188. 

Berthier, 193, 194. 

Bignore, 125. 

Blanchard, 51, 58, 174, 183. 

Blessing, 7. 

Bossard, 198. 

Bouleu, 194. 

Bouley, 59. 

Bourdais, a domestic, 9, 57. 

Bowen, Dr., 77. 

Bowker, 78. 

Brick, 180. 

Brizou, 8. 

Buifon, 82. 

Buissey, 7. 



Byron, Admiral, 13. 

Cabanis, 187. 

Caravagne, 59. 

Carter, 50. 

Carter, Mrs. , 87. 

Champmartin, 185. 

Cliamptier, 7. 

Charette, 185. 

Chirfontaine, 7. 

Clinton, General, 68, 114. 

Closen, Aide de Camp, 59. 

Coligny, 173. 

CoUot, Aide Marechal General des 

Logis, 59. 
Cooper, Rev. Dr., 181. 
Cordier, 7. 
Cornwallis, General, 9, 124, 136, 138, 

145, 148, 151, 152, 154. 
Cornwallis, Commodore, 27. 
Corte, 42, 63, 83. 
Coste, 59. 
Coster, 114, 116. 
Coussard, 6. 
Custine, 60. 

Daltains, 185. 
Damblimon, 185. 
Daure, 144. 
D'Aboville, 58. 



204 



D'Alpheran, 103. 

D'Auticliamp, Count, 143. 

D'Aitois, Count, 175. 

D'Ogre, 59. 

De Barms, Count, 103, 139, 140, 144. 

De Bauuay, 198. 

De Beville, 54, 58. 

DeBeville, Jr.,59. 

De Bouille, Marquis, 156. 

De Broglie, Marshal, 150. 

De Broglie, Prince, 175. 

De Bros, Chevalier, 185. 

De Capellis, 33, 47, 50, 51. 52, 186. 

De Chabannes, 60. 

De Charlus, 60. 

De Chastellux, Chevalier, 58,60, 75, 

85, 88, 104, 123, 141, 144, 145, 

149, 152, 179, 181. 
De Choisy, 68, 144, 149. 
De Clumard, 157. 
De Coriolis, Chevalier, 10, 43, 197. 
De Corny, 39, 40, 41, 49, 58, 87. 
De Custine, Count, 7, 16, 76, 87, 89, 

92, 138, 139, 140, 158, 164, 166. 
De Damas, Aide de Camp, 59. 
De Deux Fonts, Count, 60, 76, 154, 

155. 
De Deux Fonts, the younger, 150. 
De Dillon, Colonel, 60, 63, 146. 
D'Espinousse, 180, 182. 
D'Estaing, 11, 12, 77. 
De Ferry, Aide de Camp, 59. 
De Gachain, 74. 
De Gaston, 193. 
De Glandeves, 193. 
De Grasse, Count, 103, 105, 107, 129, 

130, 136, 138, 139, 140, 142, 143, 

146, 152, 153, 154, 155, 157, 158. 



De Gfimat, 150. 

De Grimaldi, 188. 

De Guichen, Admiral, 15, 17, 19,66, 
68, 158. 

De James, 7. 

De Jousecourt, 103. 

De Kergu, 96. 

De Lange, 188. 

De Lameth, Aide Marcschal, 150. 

De Laubardieres, 140. 

De Lauzun, 2, 60, 75, 82, 106, 121, 
145, 146, 153, 170, 175. 

De Laval, Marquis, 60, 76, 87, 176. 

De Luz, Chevalier, 49. 

De Manterrier, Chevalier, 3. 

De Marigny, Chevalier, 3, 23, 25. 

Demars, 25, 42, 54, 55. 

De Medine, 185, 198, 200. 

De Menonvillc, 59. 

De Montbarrej-, 91. 

De Nava, 190. 

Denis, 7. 

De Noaillcs, Viscount, 60, 63. 

De Fange, 7, 60. 

De Riom, 185. 

De Rochambeau, Count, 1, 2, 36,44, 
45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 54, 55, 58, 59, 
61, 66, 69, 82, 83, 86, 104, 107, 
120, 121, 122, 123, 127, 141, 142, 
143, 144, 152, 153, 154, 155, 177, 
178, 179, 181, 186. 

De Rochambeau, Vicomte, 60, 74, 
103. 

De Roquelaure, 193. 

De Saint James, 87, 91. 

De Saint Mesme, Colonel, 60. 

De Saint Simon, 148. 

De Sanson, 112. 



205 



De Sartine, 83. 

De Segur, Marquis, 91, 175. 

De Segur, Count, 198, 194, 195, 19G, 

198. 
Deshayes, 7. 
Desson, 188. 
De Steuben, 142, 174. 
Desouches, 175. 
Destouches, 3, 98, 95, 99, 101. 
De Suffein, 174. 
De Tarle, Chevalier, 1, 9, 36, 48, 54, 

58, 59, 70, lOG, 107, 119. 
De Ternay, Adn,iral,2, 5, 23, 20, 33, 

36, 39, 42, 45, 60, 77, 83, 99, 103. 
De Theridan, 195. 
De Tilly, 3. 
Dethis, 185. 

De Vauban, Aide de Camp, 59. 
De Vaudrcuil, 169, 176, 179, 180, 

185, 186, 187, 198, 198. 
De Vaudreuil, Jr., 180. 
De Veymeranges, 87. 
De Viola, 188. 

De Villenianzy, 25, 58, 143, 154. 
De Viomenil, Baron, 7, 16, 20, 21, 

26, 36, 89, 45, 54, 55, 58, 60, 66, 

84, 87, 98, 98, 128, 150, 152, 157, 

161, 175, 181, 182, 184, 197, 198, 

199, 200. 
De Viomenil, Count, 54, 58, 60. 
De Volnais, 51. 
De I'Aiguille, 188. 
De la Cheze, 81, 88, 120, 149, 151 

155, 193. 
De la Clochetterie, 8, 23, 98. 
De I'Etombe, 180. 
De la Fayette, 38, 39, 57, 60, 136, 

140, 141, 142, 150. 



De la Grandiere, 2, 7, 34, 105. 

De la Luzerne, 68, 69, 70, 136, 157, 

173. 
De la Mothe-Piquet, 127, 156. 
De la Panouse, 188. 
De la Pemuse, 3, 91. 
De la Touche, 89. 
Delevan, 177. 
De la Villebrune, 98, 144. 
Digby, Admiral, 146. 
Dourville, 77. 
Drouillet, 144. 
Dubourg, Cromot, Aide de Camp, 

60. 
Du Coudray, 137. 
Dumas, 59. 

Duparc de Bellegrade, 7, 11. 
Du Petit-Thouars, 198. 
Du Portail, 60, 115. 



Earl, Abigail, 43. 



Fanit, 7. 
Fleury, 61. 
Flint, 88. 
Franklin, 49. 



Gau, 56, 58. 
Gauledet, 69, 107. 
Gautier, 7. 
Glandeves, 185. 
Goguet, Marie, 132. 
Gombaut, 198. 
Greene, General, 80, 110. 
Greene, Mrs., 80,81,87. 



206 



Greeve (Graves?) Admiral, 4, 31. 
Guzence, 7. 

Haake, 80. 

Hancock, 49, 56, 181. 

Harris, 71, 73. 

Heth (Heatli ?) General, 130. 

Holker, 70, 137. 

Hood, Admiral, 157. 

Jones, Paul, 188. 
Josselin, 7. 
Jumencourt, 88. 

Kergu, 7. 

Knox, General, 86. 

La Barolien, 105. 
Laforest, 92. 
La Jonquiercs, 7. 
La Mothe Guillonais, 194. 
Laubanie, 7. 
Lauberdiere, 59. 
Laurens, son of 
congress, 86, 
Lazie, 58. 
Lee, 57. 
Legritz, 7. 
Le Pont, 188. 
Le Veneur, 198. 
Lynch, 60. 

Lincoln, General, 86, 121. 
Livet, 7. 
Lombard, 2. 

Louis, Captain, an Iroquois, 61. 
Lourmel, 7. 



the president of 
7, 133. 



Loyas, 7. 
Lyon, 48. 

Macarthy, 7. 
Mandat, 188. 
Marassin, 7. 
Menonville, 7. ^ 
Mesme, Viscount, 84. 
Michel, 195. 
Mitton, 185. 

Montesquieu, grandson of the pre- 
sident, 60. 
Montcabier, 188. 
Morgan, General, 89. 
Moucheron, 188. 
Mouton, 198. 

Nadal, 58. 

Necker, 125, 127, 128. 

Nupuy, 7. 

Olonne, 60. 
Opterre, 59. 

Pache, 185. 

Panat, 188. 

Paoli, 117. 

Pearson, General, 113. 

Pisanijon, 88. 

Prieur, 196. 



Repentigni, 188. 
Robillard, First Surgeon, 59. 
Rodney, Admiral, 17, 19, 66, 158 
Romain, 69. 



207 



Saint Pair, 198. 
Scliuj'ler, General, 114. 
Sillart, 3. 
Sinallwood, 75. 
Stirling, Lord, 118, 133. 
Sraoden, Major, 168. 
Siifferu, 132. 

Tarleton, 146. 

Temple, Mrs., 49. 

Trumbull, Gov. of Connecticut, 110. 

Tucrenet, 59. 

Turpin, 59. 

Van Gelder, 132. 

Varnum, Gen. of militia, 55, 56. 



Vasselot, 198. 
Veymeranges, 59. 
Vigo-Rouissilon, 131. 

Wadsworth, 109. 

Walsh, Margaret, 164. 

Washington, 66, 67, 69, 76, 86, 89, 
90, 93, 104, 106, 107, 113, 115, 
116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 133, 127, 
128, 129, 133, 136, 148, 151, 152, 
154, 165, 166, 167, 173, 176. 

Washington, Mrs., 165, 166. 

Washington, the mother and sis- 
ter of, 163. 

William, prince of England after- 
wards William IV, 197. 



y^umx oj^L^ eUc^ . 

THE JOURNAl. 

OF 

CLAUDE BLANCHAKD, 

COMMISSARY OF THE FRENCH AUXILIARY ARMY SENT 

TO THE UNITED STATES DURING THE 

AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

17 8 0-1783. 






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